Tonight I watched the lights go out in your house,
Wondering how I could get so deep and you could still get sleep.
In vain I blame my trembling on the cold air
But I can't hide that I've relied on you like yellow does on blue
You're my good feeling ;;
"Come on!" Bella said with an exaggerated sigh as she pulled on Jasper's hand. She was feigning annoyance like a four year old impatient child, but it was obvious from the smile on her face that she was just having fun with him.
"I know you're old and all, but you can't blame that for your glacial pace considering you have super speed too," she teased as she tugged Jasper's hand again toward the fairground.
When they had gone into town earlier that day to get some more things for her to eat, Bella couldn't contain her excitement to see that they were having a summer fair. She literally tripped over her own two feet with her eagerness to read about the details on one of the many fliers that was posted around the fishing town. Luckily, Jasper had been there to catch her before she could do any damage to herself, but if she wasn't careful, the same thing was liable to happen again with her eagerness to get inside.
It was so different from their spot. Obviously. While their place was abandoned and old, broken and worn from years of being ignored, this one was the exact opposite. Everything was lit up with bright multi-colored lights and exaggerated decorations. It was loud and crowded, the complete different picture of how their fairgrounds always were, where the count had always just been two in number and the tones of the occupants were hardly ever even above whispers. The booths were filled with prizes and contained all sorts of different activities from gun shooting to balloon popping to goldfish bowls. The air was punctuated by a hundred different scents of carnival food, the most prominent being that of cotton candy and funnel cakes. It was what she imagined their spot must have been for Forks years and years ago. This fair seemed to be the life of the summer nights in the tiny town they were visiting now on the outskirts.
Bella could not have been happier. Two days before when they'd spent time in the hot tub, she felt weightless. Ever since, that same feeling lingered. Jasper could feel again. His emotions were everywhere, surrounding her in a constant bubble of love and happiness. They mixed with her own feelings which were only those in similar positive regard and the two of them had been taking advantage of it ever since. Bella could even swear that one night, she could hear his heartbeat as she lay against his chest while she was drifting off to sleep. It was an impossibility to be sure, but she could feel so much affection radiating off of him that it was easy to let her mind play tricks into believing that his heart was just as alive as was her own. After what they'd shared, she felt closer to him than she ever had. It was a first for Bella and while they hadn't gone so far as to actually make love, the intimacy of their actions made it feel as if there were a constant added warmth that she felt even since. It was ever-present when she pulled on his hand to lead him into the fair. Just before they walked in though, she paused, stood on her toes and kissed him sweetly, loosening the hold she had on his fingers. There was really no rush, after all.
"That was the last time I call you old," she said with a grin. "Promise."
Being able to feel again had been a bit overwhelming for Jasper initially. It was as if all the emotion he should have been feeling in the last few weeks had been waiting for him to regain his power so that they could surface. It was difficult for him to deal with at first, but after that first night, it was more like being reunited with an old friend. He became reacquainted with his power, and at this point he was able to process emotions just as he had before the separation between them. He felt much more like himself, and though he didn't particularly like himself very much, he knew that he would be better able to love Bella the way she deserved now. He could be the person she loved, for whatever reason that might have been.
He'd taken her into town that morning for groceries; he wasn't sure how much longer they were going to be staying at the cabin, but he didn't feel ready to approach the subject of returning to Forks yet. He knew it would be coming soon enough, or else Charlie might come looking for them with police dogs and a shot gun. He wasn't afraid of either, but it certainly would inconvenience things. However, today was not the day to talk about it, and so instead they went looking for more food for Bella to have in the house. Along the way, they'd seen workers finishing up preparations for the grand opening of the summer carnival in town. Bella had positively glowed when she saw it, and though he wasn't exactly crazy about the idea, he'd do anything to keep that smile on her face and make her happy. It was decided pretty much on the spot that they'd return later for the opening and see what the carnival had to offer.
Once they'd put away the groceries and changed into more appropriate attire for attending the event, they'd driven back into town and parked just outside of the carnival. It was all lit up, people were there with their families, and Jasper was nervous as hell. He never liked being around large groups of people. It made him anxious and it made him doubt himself. However, he was on a bit of an upswing with his confidence after his display of control with Bella in the hot tub. He'd manage to get through it, and right now, he was trying to enjoy himself so that she wouldn't feel anxious. It was fortunate that the carnival was filled with rancid smelling food. It deterred him from the scent of all the blood around him, and the loud music and squeals of children made the sounds of their rushing heartbeats drown out.
Jasper smirked at her and shrugged. "If you say so, but that's a long time to promise," he said. "I'm not sure you'll be able to resist."
Because Bella had missed being able to feel what Jasper was feeling so much, she made sure to cherish it when she was allowed to again. But this meant that she was very in tune with his emotions, including those that he might have been trying a bit harder to suppress such as his anxiety. She could feel it when they'd pulled up to the carnival and thus, she'd tried to joke with him in order to take his mind off of it. Of course, though, she would never want to stay somewhere that he didn't feel comfortable. That was a position that Bella didn't want to put Jasper in.
"I'll try," she said, giving his hand a squeeze. But before they could go any further, she wanted to address the issue. "Whenever you want to leave, we will, okay?" she assured him.
She was excited about the carnival, yes. But Bella honestly would have been just as happy to be anywhere else with him, including back at their cabin where he would probably feel the most at ease.
It was a nice evening. It was slightly on the cooler side for a summer night, but all that meant was that Bella had to dress a little bit warmer. That didn't deter some other people from dressing as if they were going to lay out on the beach however. She figured that because it was a fishing town, it probably didn't get quite as hot in the summer as someplace like Phoenix where she'd grown up. To her, everything in the north seemed cold. She still wasn't quite used to the usual temperature in Forks yet and she'd lived there for well over a year now. If anything, she preferred to get her cold fix by means of the boy whose hand she was holding now.
"Where should we go first?" she asked, looking up at him.
There were a hundred possibilities. Unlike their place, everything here was in working order from rides to games to everything in between. But something that was in common with the fairground they frequented was the fact that this one also has a carousel. Granted it looked quite different, but Bella was eager to take a ride on it. If anything, that was the one thing she wanted to do before they left. Of course if it was too much for Jasper, it wouldn't even be a question and she would be fine with that. But in comparison to the rest of the activities, that one stood above all the others for her, hands down.
"Your choice," she said. "I'm sure I owe you for something. Another bet you won," she said, pausing to grin. It seemed like every time they made a bet or had a contest of some sort, he was the victor. "So it's up to you, soldier. Whatever you want."
When Bella stopped to take a moment and address the concerns that had been on his mind since they decided to attend the fair, Jasper was touched. She didn't have to say anything at all, but she'd put his needs and her concern for his well-being over her own happiness and that meant a lot to him. He would always do the same for her, but to hear it from her was very kind of her to say. He did not want to hinder her fun, though. That was the last thing he wanted to do that day. He wanted her to enjoy herself. She deserved it after all she'd done for him to help him get his power back. Jasper lifted her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. He just nodded to her, then lowered their hands back down between them and continued on into the fair.
The atmosphere was very light and upbeat. Jasper could feel predominantly happiness amongst the crowd. There was a considerable amount of excitement, and even some fear he drew from children who were anxious about going on the rides. It was a lot at once, but Jasper had been exposed to large groups before, like when he was in school. It wasn't quite the same, but enough so that he was able to adapt. There were several families, all having a good time with one another. It made Jasper slightly nostalgic for his family. Though it might have appeared that he was the outsider of the family, Jasper actually cared very deeply for the Cullens - save for Rosalie, now.
But he was with his Belle; nothing else mattered right now.
He started looking around at all the different booths. The games were probably all rigged and overpriced, but Jasper supposed that was just part of the carnival charm. It was all part of the experience. He eyed a game where the player shot at a target to win a prize. He'd have to make sure he won something for Bella at some point. "
My choice? Well, in that case I want to win you one of those stuffed animals. But I suppose we should get you some of that food first. I want to make sure you've gotten your fill of.. what are they.. funnel cakes? Cotton candy? One of those larger than life pretzels? Anything you want. Then I'll win you something. From what I can see, it's customary for the boyfriend to carry some large stuffed animal around." He smirked, liking the way it sounded to call himself her boyfriend.
Jasper kissed the top of her head as they moved towards a food stand and stood in line. He released her hand and slid his arm around her waist to hold her against his side.
"What are you going to get?" He asked, curiously. He couldn't eat any of it, obviously, but he was intrigued by the specialty foods you couldn't purchase anywhere else.
For someone who really didn't appreciate them much as a kid though she would attend them frequently, it certainly seemed like Bella's ideas about fairs changed with how excited she was on this evening. She would attribute it to the fact that she had a newfound respect for them since she and Jasper claimed the remains of one as their designated spot for just the two of them. She could see this, like so many other things, in a completely different light now that she was with Jasper.
This was also the first time Bella had ever attended one of these with a boy. When she was little, it was always her rambunctious, overzealous mother leading the way and calling all the shots. And if anyone had a member of the opposite sex tagging along, it was her mother, not Bella. But when Jasper referred to himself as her boyfriend, her heart skipped a beat. It wasn't as if she didn't know they were exclusive or anything of that nature, but when he spoke the term aloud, Bella really liked the sound of it. She squeezed his hand when he spoke of winning her a prize.
"You know if they have a big stuffed moose, that's the first thing we need to try for," she said with a grin. She made a mental note to herself that she would really have to look for the one she'd told him about under her bed when they returned home.
But Bella couldn't bring herself to think about that yet. Like Jasper, she wasn't ready. It was clear that soon they would probably have to be considering there was still the situation of the newborns at hand, but for now 'home' to Bella was wherever Jasper was. Right now, that was miles and miles away from the tiny town of Forks. Once they returned, they would have to be separated once more. At least, more than they had to be now. Even though it was pretty clear that the two of them had a more serious relationship now considering the fact that they'd left together and took an impromptu holiday, but Bella didn't think Charlie was going to be keen on the idea of Jasper sleeping in his daughter's bed. In fact, she would bet money on the fact that she would be grounded upon immediately stepping through the door when she returned finally. That was enough to cause her to delay the reunion.
Now the only thing she wanted to be concerned with was whether or not she should get a funnel cake or cotton candy.
"Hmm," she mused thoughtfully. "What are you in the mood for?" She wrapped an arm around his back and smiled up at him. One thing Bella enjoyed doing the most with Jasper was teasing him.
The two of them had a fun element in their relationship that seemed to come out more the longer they spent time together. By now, it was just second nature. Remembering the time when she'd called him a 'tease' when he drove past the school on her first day back was another thought that brought a grin to her lips.
"I'm thinking I'm leaning towards cotton candy," she decided. "In honor of Renee. She could seriously live off of that stuff if I let her," she said fondly of her mother. "But you get to pick the color. It's a serious job. Can you handle it?"
Jasper had never attended a fair before. He'd always avoided them because of all the people and it also just wasn't something that he ever thought he'd enjoy going to. Squealing children and over enthusiastic workers overcharging everything from food to toys just didn't seem like something he'd find any fun in being around. However, he kept those thoughts to himself once they decided to go, and actually, he was having a much better time than he thought he would. Not only because of being with Bella and seeing her so happy, but he also found that being able to feel the genuine happiness of mostly everyone else in attendance was rubbing off on him. He imagined if he was human, he'd love to bring a girl - specifically Bella - somewhere like this.
In his time as a human, they of course didn't have anything like this. There was a traveling circus that came through his town a couple of times while he was growing up, but he'd never had the means to attend. He'd seen the tent from his house, though. And one time he'd gotten close enough to see a few of the animals before his father caught him sneaking off and took him back home to work because he'd been skipping his chores. But even that was nothing like this. The only real treats they'd sold back then were candy apples, from what he'd heard from his school mates who'd been lucky enough to attend. Jasper thought he would have liked very much to take a girl he'd been sweet on to something like that. Now he was, only it was over a century and a half later, and it was a far cry from the circus he'd seen from afar.
He did not want to think about going back to Forks. He knew he was in for an earful from Esme about taking off. Carlisle might lecture him a little for leaving in the midst of a serious crisis, but he knew it would be his mother who gave him the most grief over it. It didn't really matter to him. He was most concerned about what Bella was going to have to endure when she returned home. He had a feeling Charlie wouldn't be as forgiving as his family, and might even go as far as to forbid her from seeing him. He'd hoped that Carlisle and Esme could do enough damage control to prevent that, but he wasn't sure. The phone calls made to the police chief from Bella were always quick, from what he could hear. They would continue to avoid this subject for now, but Jasper knew that they would eventually have to speak of it; sooner probably rather than later.
For now, though, all he wanted to do was enjoy their outing. Jasper smiled as she wrapped her arm around his back and met her gaze with a loving one of his own. He raised an eyebrow when she asked him what he was in the mood for. Had he been more brash like Emmett, he probably would have said something that bordered on the sexual nature, but he kept that thought to himself and kissed the top of her head instead.
As she spoke of cotton candy, he scrunched his nose. "It's just sugar, isn't it? Am I going to be peeling you off the wall later?" he asked, chuckling a little. As they approached a cotton candy stand, he looked at the colors offered; blue, pink, and purple. "Isn't pink the standard?" He pulled his wallet out as they reached the man serving it, and ordered her a pink cotton candy. After paying, he let the man hand it to her and stared at the pink fluffy treat.
"You eat this?" he finally asked, wrapping his arm back around her as they started to walk again.
Bella turned her head away when he pulled out his wallet to pay. Even though it was for something as small as a stick of cotton candy, she still felt guilty that he was spending money on her. That was one thing that Bella imagined would never change. She would never be completely comfortable with Jasper always paying for her. It was no matter. She would pay him back somehow when they went back to Forks. At least they didn't have to pay for where they were staying. That was a big comfort considering that could have been costly. But it was convenient that they had the perfect getaway place that was on account of Carlisle and thus far, it proved to be the best thing they could have asked for. One thing was for sure – Bella would never be able to forget the time they spent there and it would always be a place she regarded fondly. Hopefully, this would only be the first time they were able to visit.
She smiled at him when he chose pink. After thanking both him and the food stand worker, she plucked a piece of the fluffy treat from the swirl and popped it into her mouth. It dissolved instantly into sugar and truth be told, it tasted delicious. Bella didn't usually like many sweets. At least, not the ones that were pure sugar like this one. But this was one treat that she didn't mind having once in awhile and since it was hard to find anywhere aside from a place like this carnival, she was grateful to indulge in it now.
"Mmm," she remarked as she took another piece. "Trust me, it's worth it to have obscene amounts of energy later if it tastes this good now." She wished he could have been able to enjoy it too, but considering they didn't make blood-flavored cotton candy, it was assuredly not something he'd like the same way she did.
"I promise to take it easy though so that no wall-peeling need occur," she said, licking her fingers free of the sticky sugar.
As they started walking, Bella started looking at the different games. Jasper had said that was what he wanted to do after getting her something to eat. Rather, she wasn't looking so much at the actual games as she was the prizes. There were giant stuffed animals of every kind. Most were of the bear variety, but there were certainly a few more less common animals. The multi-colored giant dinosaurs at the ring toss game made her smile, especially when there was a child pitching a fit in front of the game because his father couldn't seem to win. It was a full-blown tantrum complete with tears and fist-pounding on the dirt.
"That's what I'm going to do if you don't win a prize," she teased, wrapping her free arm back around him.
Her eyes immediately locked on one overstuffed prize when they turned a corner for another row of booths. Of all the obscure animals that could make into giant fair prizes one happened to be, what else, but a moose. Smirking slightly, she led him over to the direction of the game. "I think I see something of interest," she said with a grin up at him.
Jasper didn't quite understand the point of cotton candy, or how it even worked. He watched as the man spun the sugary substance around in the machine, then put it on a stick. Maybe it was because he was from a different time; he just didn't get the concept. He supposed that thinking about it defeated the purpose; candy wasn't supposed to make sense, really. So he just thought of it as a modern-day candy apple, minus the apple, and left it at that. Maybe he would have stolen a bite of it if it was something he could eat without having an adverse reaction.
That sort of thing was something he sometimes wondered if Bella was missing out on when it came to being involved with someone.. like him. He'd already witnessed a few couples feeding each other pieces of funnel cakes and sharing ice cream cones. He could imagine Bella laughing and popping a piece of cotton candy into his mouth. Unfortunately that was something he knew she'd never do. Jasper couldn't eat things like that; well, he could, but he'd get sick and have to throw it up - even something like cotton candy that would've dissolved on his tongue. He'd go through it, if it meant she could experience normal sort of couple activities, but he knew she'd never do anything like that to him. She was sacrificing so much normalcy for him. Of course, he was too - normalcy in that he should've been killing her, not dating her. But that was a privilege to Jasper, not a sacrifice.
This was not a time to think about sacrifice and sadness, however. They were here to have fun and spend time together and that was exactly what Jasper wanted to do with her.
"I don't mind the obscene amounts of energy at all," he said, grinning a little. "I'd just like it to be directed at things other than wall-peeling." That was about as close to a sexual innuendo as Jasper could make without getting embarrassed. It wouldn't necessarily make Emmett proud, but it did make his grin turn a little shy.
His attention was turned towards the row of game booths where several families and a few other couples were gathered trying to win prizes for their children and impress their girlfriends. Jasper wasn't that different from the boyfriends trying to look good for their girlfriends. It was a little shameful, but that was just sort of the "guy" thing to do. While he was a gentleman and not even human, he was still a male. It would be going against eons of natural instinct of his gender to not want to look good in front of his partner, his mate, his girlfriend.
As she pointed out a screaming child, Jasper cringed. He could feel the frustration and just outright anger coming from the boy. It was a bit amusing though, to think that this kid probably had about a dozen of those same sort of toys at home among many others. Jasper couldn't help but chuckle.
"I'd like to see that. If you eat enough cotton candy, I'll believe it."
He kissed the top of her head as she wrapped her arm back around him. He looked around at all the possible prizes, and when she spoke up about one that caught her eye, Jasper walked at her side to where she wanted to go. He saw the moose, and there was no question about it - he had to win it for her.
"Consider the moose yours."
It was a shooting game, where the player was to hit the target. There were different ways to win. The closer to the bullseye, the bigger the prize. Obviously, judging by the size of the moose, it was a bullseye prize. He watched as a couple of other people in front of them tried their luck. There were three chances to hit the target, and only one of the men in front of them managed to hit the outside of the target and win his girlfriend a tiny stuffed dog. Of course, when Jasper stepped up, a few of the other guys who'd lost gave him a little grief to help their bruised egos. How could a skinny pretty boy like him even hold a gun, much less shoot it? Jasper said nothing, though he was tempted to just shoot the bullseye and be done with it.
He stepped up and held the rifle. He could clearly see the tiny bullseye without even squinting, and knew he could shoot it all day long if he really wanted to. But he had to make it look convincing. It'd just draw attention to them for the duration of their time if he hit the bullseye without putting any effort into it. Jasper feigned a squint and fired, missing the target completely. There were a few chuckles behind him. He didn't flinch. The second shot, he hit the edge of the target. A few more scoffs and even a call for him to allow the guy who'd won the dog to win Bella a prize. Jasper just turned to glance at Bella, and wiggled his brow a little. He turned back to the task at hand and fired the third time, hitting the bullseye dead center.
Silence behind him.
"We'll take the moose."
The stunned worker pulled the big moose down from where it was hanging and handed it to Jasper. He thanked the man politely, then presented it to Bella. "For you, ma'am."
If asked, Bella would have said she felt as if she were sacrificing nothing to be with Jasper. She didn't care about foolish things like feeding each other or anything of the sort. In fact, she actually kind of liked the fact that because he couldn't eat in the same manner she could, they usually didn't go out to eat anywhere often. It was nice every once in awhile, but Bella much rather preferred to stay at home with him, somewhere inside where she could curl up to him while she ate. She also felt bad when they went somewhere and people would constantly ask if 'he was sure he didn't want just a little something to nibble on?' Countless of waitresses had done that and simply stared at him whenever they would go somewhere.
Then again, they all could have been staring because with someone as beautiful as Jasper, what else could they really do?
Sleep was the other thing that she felt badly for. She liked curling up to him while she rested, but she knew that there were a million other things he could be doing each night other than just laying there while she slept. She imagined how much she would enjoy having all of the extra time during the day if she wasn't required to sleep at all. Or even eat for that matter.
But never once did she feel as if she were giving anything up in order to maintain their relationship. Of course there were things about her that she wished were different – specifically that she was less fragile – but that didn't have any reflection of negative feelings towards Jasper or her relationship with him. If anything, it just made her appreciate it more that he was so open to her, so willing to keep a normal relationship with her despite the fact that there were glaring differences between them. Such as being different species. They were making it work, however, and Bella had no doubts about failing to continue doing so.
It was amusing to watch the other people take turns trying their luck at the game. The male gender was really something interesting to observe when their hegemonic tendencies to prove their masculinity through competition were on display. The females were no less amusing to see. The one whose boyfriend managed to win her the stuffed dog made a dramatic display by throwing her arms around his neck and squealing excitedly when he made contact with the target.
Of all games, this was certainly the most fitting for Jasper. Bella knew that he would be easily able to hit the bullseye. In fact, she would have put money on him being able to win any of the games that lined the booth of the fair. It was obvious though – only to her of course – that he was putting on a little bit of a show when it was his turn to shoot. His background, of course, in addition to his special abilities and heightened senses, made it all too easy for him. It was funny to see how the crowd reacted after each shot his took. First curiosity, then mocking, then utter shock when he nailed the bullseye.
Bella, unlike the girl who'd been given the dog, simply smiled at him. When he presented her with the overstuffed moose, she didn't throw her arms around him and jump up and down and squeal excitedly. But she did, however, stand on her toes to kiss his cheek.
"Thank you," she said, wrapping her arms around the stuffed animal.
It was over half the size of her and for a moment, she struggled with balancing it in her arms, while still holding the cotton candy and avoiding getting the sticky sweet all over her new prize. Sheepishly she handed the cotton candy to Jasper for the moment, shifting the moose in her arms. She honestly didn't realize quite how big it was until she was holding it. But it was surprisingly very soft and the limbs hung limply in order to make it a little bit easier for her to carry.
"He looks like…. a Mortimer," she said after a moment of thought. "Mortimer Moose." She laughed and looked up to Jasper to get his approval. "What do you think?" she asked. "I think he'll be the best of friends with my other little guy. In a giant, scary sort of way," she said.
Jasper didn't even give the once critical but now in awe spectators who witnessed his skills a glance. Now that the task was complete, his attention was only on Bella. He did smile though, as she kissed his cheek. That made all of that charade he just put on worth it. He could feel her happiness, even if she wasn't outwardly showing it through her enthusiasm. It made him feel good that he could bring her happiness, even if it was just in the form of an oversized stuffed moose. It didn't matter what the prize was; her happiness was the best of all.
It was a bit amusing to watch Bella try to juggle the moose and the cotton candy and Jasper gladly would have carried the moose for her. He just thought she'd want to hold it for a minute since it was her new present. He took the cotton candy while she tried to figure out how best to carry the moose. He got a good whiff of the cotton candy, which didn't smell appetizing to him at all, but it wasn't too bad. He couldn't help but smirk as she figured it out and let the limbs hang over her as she carried it. He kept hold of the cotton candy to make it easier for her, carrying it as they started walking again.
"Mortimer," he said, repeating the name and playing it over in his head. "Yes, I think you're right. He does look like a Mortimer. Not a Mort, though." He wiggled his eyebrow at her again and picked off a piece of cotton candy, then held it to her lips.
"Now that you've gotten a treat and a keepsake, what shall we do now?" He asked. "A ride? Or shall we get our faces painted?"
He laughed a little, nodding towards where a little girl was getting his a large rainbow painted on her cheek. That was not exactly something he could see himself doing. Though, he never thought he'd be carrying cotton candy, walking next to a giant moose in the middle of a fair, either. It was a day of firsts for him, that was for sure.
"The carousel might be fun.." He said, knowing she probably wanted to check it out. Truthfully, he did too. There was a line, but he didn't mind standing in it. "We'll find a seat for Mortimer, too. I think he meets the height requirement to ride," he said, grinning.
Jasper's spirits were very high that day. This was a place where he should have felt extremely anxious and terrified he'd slip up and commit mass murder. Yet he was very calm and enjoying himself very much. It was strange, yet oddly refreshing. And it was something he could only attribute to being in the presence of the girl next to him. Smiling at that thought, he slid his free arm around Bella's waist and pulled her close again.
Bella nodded when Jasper confirmed the moose's name, eliminating a possibility for a foul nickname in the process. When he pulled off a piece of her cotton candy and brought it to her mouth, she took it. But rather than pull away immediately, her lips closed over his thumb, which now tasted sweet from the way the treat had melted on it when she's taken it. Her tongue grazed the tip of his finger for a moment before she pulled back altogether. "
Hm. I really don't know why you wouldn't like the stuff," she said with a casual shrug, hiding a smirk as she turned back to watch where she was walking, shifting Mortimer in her arms.
It was a move that was bold in that it was blatantly sexual. Where Bella had gotten the nerve to do something like that was something that she might never have understood, but it likely had to do with the fact that she felt as if she could get away with more considering their heated evening in the hot tub a few nights before this one. Of course, she never would have done anything less subtle in public than drawing his finger into her mouth for a couple of moments. But Bella was okay with the discreet affection of the gesture. She hoped Jasper would be as well knowing they were both on the same page in regard to public displays of affection. Her cheeks were still pink, brave or not.
Perhaps then that face painting would have come in handy. She laughed when he made the suggestion of it, her eyes following as he nodded to the girl who now had multicolored streaks lining her cheek.
"I think we better just stick to the carousel," she said with a smile over at him. That was what she had been most looking forward to in any case. "Although, I think we should brave the ferris wheel before we go too. I usually would never step foot on one because I don't trust them, but I figure if I have you there, it wouldn't matter if the whole thing catastrophically collapsed," she said. Him, meaning a vampire. Meaning, there was no way she could have been in danger with him beside her.
As they got to the carousel after getting a couple of tickers, Bella's eyes immediately went to the carriages. One of them was already taken by a couple and their little girl but the one of the far side was still free. Excitedly, she started for it, but before she and Jasper could claim it, another couple sat down. There was a pronounced pout on Bella's face that she didn't even realize she was making. It was disappointing to not be able to sit there when such a place had symbolic meaning for their relationship, but they'd already gotten their tickets. As she started looking around for a couple of horses that were free near each other, the couple in the carriage got up.
"Oh here," said the girl apologetically. "Take this one," she said, yanking on her boyfriend's hand who was staring at Jasper in awe. Before Bella could even open her mouth to say something, the couple was already halfway around the carousel.
"Weird," she mumbled, looking after them with a furrowed brow. But it didn't matter. Their carriage was free now. "Oh well," she said with a shrug, setting Mortimer down on one side of the bench. She sat beside the stuff moose, trying to make enough room for Jasper, but the stuffed animal was going to make things more difficult.
"I hope you don't mind being close to me," she said with a grin. "It's going to be a tight fit."
As Bella took his thumb into her mouth, Jasper couldn't help but be drawn to gazing at her lips. He knew how warm her mouth was, because she'd left several kisses on his skin before. However, feeling the suckling motion she was giving his thumb was something new for him. It took his breath away and he found it very difficult to keep his composure. Had they been anywhere else where they could be alone, Jasper would have pulled her to him and kissed her until she was breathless. Maybe more. Ever since their night in the hot tub, he'd been a little more liberal in his advances. Not much, never assuming or taking things to an inappropriate level. He was a gentleman, after all. That didn't mean he was above rubbing her thigh or running his hand up her shirt.
As it was, they were in the middle of a crowded fair. He didn't have a choice. Her passionate kiss would have to wait, at least until they got to the car. Jasper chuckled when she spoke of avoiding the face painting, though he was relieved that she agreed with him on it. He did raise an eyebrow when she suggested the ferris wheel, then said she'd feel safe because he would be in the seat with her. That.. was terribly ironic. He was far more dangerous than any sort of unlikely catastrophe that might happen on the ferris wheel. She felt safe sitting next to her predator.
Only Bella. He grinned a little at the thought and kissed the top of her head.
When they reached the carousel, Jasper hoped they'd find an empty carriage to sit in. He'd have settled for two horses, though he wasn't comfortable on a horse, really. They'd be able to hold hands, but he wanted to sit close to her and sneak her kisses. Besides, carousel carriages would always hold a special place in Jasper's heart. They were symbolic of their special place back in Forks. Even though they did not particularly want to go back to that town right now, sitting in a carriage would be the reminder of a nice memory of that place. Unfortunately, the carriages all filled up quicker than he anticipated, and they were already set to ride this time around and not able to go back and let someone else take their place so that they would have first dibs on the next turn.
That is, until Bella spotted an empty one on the other side of the carousel where two kids got up to go ride on horses instead. He and Bella made a beeline for it, but another couple sat in it. Jasper could immediately feel Bella's disappointment and looked down at her out of instinct. He saw the pronounced pout on her lips and pulled her against him. He turned his gaze back to the couple, both of whom looked up at Jasper. Apparently his unhappiness at the fact that they'd upset his girlfriend showed on his features. He could feel their intimidation and discomfort, even fear and a hint of awe coming off of them. He didn't care if they were afraid of him, really. He was upset himself. Fortunately, they got up and gave them the carriage. His mood lifted, as he felt Bella's do the same.
"Yes, weird," he repeated, though he had a feeling he knew why they got up. It made no difference to him, as long as they got the carriage. What he didn't care for, was how Mortimer was cramping his style. He would've gladly put the moose on a horse or even let him sit out for the ride. That wasn't in Bella's plans, however. Apparently the carriage was going to be for three that day.
"Maybe I should leave you two alone," he said, barely able to fit on the bench with the damn moose there. He could foresee this being a recurring theme. Still, he managed to squeeze in and slid his arm around her shoulders. "But you should know that I'd never mind being close to you," he whispered, and nuzzled just behind her ear.
Bella didn't mind the close proximity at all. She was beginning to love her moose just a little bit more for the way it brought her and Jasper together. She liked the way it felt to be pressed against his cold side and from the closeness when he put an arm around her shoulders, she could smell him. When he brushed his nose against the spot just behind her ear, chills ran up her spine and she shivered. It was a very sensitive area and one that caused an immediate reaction from her when touched. The feeling was intensified on account of the fact that his skin was cold.
But because she didn't want him to think that she didn't enjoy the chill of his skin and thus was why she shivered, she put her hand on his knee and rubbed his lower thigh affectionately. Her free hand went to hold the one he had near her shoulder, linking her fingers together with his and then unlinking them in a lazy manner. The ride started slowly at first and it didn't get up to a speed much higher than that. It was soothing to relax in the carriage, though it was certainly different to be actually riding the ride instead of just resting in it while it was stationary as they did back on their fairgrounds at Forks. After a couple of minutes, she sighed.
"Yup," she said. "I've decided I like ours better."
The reason had everything to do with the significance. Of course this would be something that she could cherish as well with her memories, but when they left, this fairground would be left behind. She liked to think of the one where they frequently visited as being eternal somehow. It was silly considering it was literally in ruins, but she held hope in that little carriage that seemed so undamaged as compared to everything else in the facilities.
Rubbing her cheek against his hand, she closed her eyes to shield them from the spinning colors that passed every time they went around. Again, it wasn't fast, but the constant motion with such bright lights was enough to cause her to feel a bit dizzy for a moment. Nothing that couldn't have been solved by just resting her eyes.
"Tell me something no one else knows," she said, a faint smile playing at her lips. The first time she'd asked something like that of him had been at their carousel.
It was amazing to him, how the cold feel of his body had the same effect on her as her warmth did on him. Every time he held her against him, or felt her touch against his skin, Jasper shivered and warm chills ran up and down his spine. It was a feeling unlike anything he'd ever felt before. It was all Bella. And it wasn't just because of her body temperature. She stirred feelings within him he did not know existed. It made him incredibly happy and was a beautiful reminder of just how deeply in love he was with her.
He smiled as she touched him in various ways, both rubbing his thigh and playing with his fingers. They could be a little more affectionate in the carriage, as they weren't right out in the open. He still wasn't going to overdo it, but he was definitely more relaxed as they sat together in their seat. Of course, he was a little put off by the way Mortimer was staring at him from his side of the bench, but Jasper just tried to keep his gaze on Bella and nothing else. When she said she liked their carousel better, he smiled. That made him feel good.
"Me too," he said softly, and kissed her temple.
Their carriage was very special to him. It was their place, somewhere they could always go when they wanted to be alone. Something about it was just so special, and he knew it was because they'd found it together and shared some very deep moments together in that carriage. He was enjoying their current position, but it still couldn't compare to their carriage. Jasper joined in playing with her fingers, lightly brushing his against hers, lacing and unlacing them. He watched her as she closed her eyes, and held her a little closer for comfort.
He had to think about what to answer her request with. It wasn't that his life was an open book; certainly it wasn't, except to her. However, there were just so any aspects of his life that he'd never shared with anyone, and it was hard to pick just one thing. Jasper rested his chin on top of her head for a moment as he thought about his answer.
"I never fired my gun at anyone while I was in the army," he said. He wasn't sure why he chose that tidbit; it was just the first that seemed significant in his mind. "I aimed it a few times, but I never had to shoot. I never killed anyone in my human life."
There would never be a time that Bella wouldn't enjoy hearing more about him. She wanted to know everything from silly things like his favorite color to his untold secrets from his past to what he was thinking about in the moment. It was all of interest to her. She wondered if it was possible to know everything about another person. It was highly unlikely, no matter how open another might have been. But Bella honestly would have been content in spending years and years listening to his stories when she he was a human and when he was not. Seeing as he had so many decades under his belt, there were an awful lot to tell from what she would guess. Granted, they weren't likely all ones with happy undertones.
It was an interesting fact that he chose to tell her and upon hearing it, she opened her eyes to look up at him, carefully minding his chin as she did so. "Really?" she asked, impressed. "That's typically a good thing."
At least, she thought so. She imagined such a thing had probably been extremely difficult as well. More difficult than that had been his life after he was a human in the army. She knew, from other stories he'd told her, that there was a lot more death involved there. It was probably a topic he didn't want to delve too deeply into and thus, Bella wouldn't dare push it any further.
The ride only lasted a couple of more minutes (much to the disappointment of the entire crowd of riders under the age of ten) but it had been sufficient enough for Bella. When it came to a stop, she wriggled herself out from between Jasper and Mortimer, the two of which had been completely opposite on either side of her in temperature and texture. She, for as much as she loved her new prize, preferred the one on her left, the one who'd won that prize. Bella tried to shift the moose so she could hold it under one arm in order to free her other to wrap around Jasper, but she only made it a couple of steps before Mortimer started slipping from her grasp. She had no choice but to wrap both of her arms around the oversized stuffed animal, linking her fingers together around its fluffy middle. She was determined to carry it herself for the effort he put into winning it (however little that may have actually been).
"What do you think, should we go for the ferris wheel or avoid the risk of any kids potentially throwing their funnel cakes up on us and go back to the cabin?" she asked, hoisting the moose up a little bit.
Jasper still didn't know why she was so fascinated with his human life. He always thought it was boring, from what he could remember. But he had found that recalling memories was something he actually enjoyed doing. He'd blocked out all of his past for so many years, not wanting to relive all the horrible truths that had been a part of him and in the process he'd blocked out all the good, too. That'd been a true shame, because really Jasper had lived a fairly interesting life. It wasn't really to him, as he was the one who had lived it, but to anyone else it would have probably made a good tale - as it was to Bella. There were a lot of things he wanted to know about her, too. She'd given him bits and pieces here and there, but there was still a lot about her he didn't know. He loved what he knew, though.
"Mhm, I guess it is. I just couldn't do it. I guess I was lucky I'm intimidating to look at," he said, smiling a little.
He kissed the top of her head and hid his face in her hair for the rest of the ride. Though this wasn't their carousel, he still felt this was meaningful. Any time spent with Bella meant something to him, and he cherished every second. He stroked her shoulder and just continued to breathe the scent of her hair. He couldn't really describe her scent in words. It was sweet, but there was something just a little tart to it as well. For the most part, humans all smelled the same to him. He could smell their blood and nothing else reached his senses. It had been the same way with Bella for a long time, too. Now that they'd gotten closer, however, her scent stood out from everything else around him. Her scent was one he could pick out of any crowd, he knew. He loved that scent.
When the ride ended, he wasn't too disappointed. While he would've liked to have stayed curled up with her for a much longer time, he knew that they had a cabin in which they could devote their time to doing that. They'd even be able to indulge more in their kisses and the way they held each other. That was what was on his mind when they stepped off the carousel. He watched as she tried to balance carrying the huge moose. Jasper would've had no problems with it at all, not only because of his strength but because he had a considerable amount of height on the thing. He would've offered to carry it, but he could feel her determination to carry it herself and he did not want to take away from that or make it obvious that she was struggling. There were very few things that he ever saw Bella being prideful about, so he wanted her to have this moment.
Jasper slid his arm around her shoulders as they walked, casually kissing the top of her head every now and then. At the mention of the ferris wheel, he looked up at it, then back at her.
"Whichever you'd like, Belle," he said. "I was thinking about how good it sounded to crawl into bed with you." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "But if you want to give it a go, I'm sure the view is great from up there. But one condition? Mortimer rides on his own. He's tall enough."
Bella's poor heart.
It was such a frequent occurrence that Jasper caused it to skip a beat that it was a wonder the fragile organ didn't go into complete cardiac arrest. Everything he did seemed to illicit the same positive response from the smaller things like when he kissed her head or squeezed her shoulders to when he would call her Belle to when he painted a picture of the two of them curled up in bed for her. The latter caused her cheeks to blush slightly in addition to her heart skipping a beat. But that was just as well. Suddenly she didn't have a desire to go on the ferris wheel at all after being presented with a much better alternative.
"I like the sound of crawling into bed," she said.
There was little she liked more than that idea. It was true that any time spent with Jasper was time that was enjoyed and it truly didn't matter where they were or what they were doing as long as she they were together. But ever since they took their physical relationship a step further, it was difficult to not have such a strong attachment to any ideas that called for a close proximity. Especially one in bed. There was just something that was so appealing about the way he'd said it as well. It caused Bella to nearly forget about the fair completely when she had been so looking forward to going.
It wasn't hard to leave, however. They had done everything they set out to do from getting a sweet treat for her to riding the carousel and of course, winning Mortimer, who Bella was already very much in love with and was happy to hold onto especially when they got to the car. She insisted on keeping him on her lap for the duration of the ride home. Of course, that meant that she couldn't see anything at all in front of her considering it was taller than she was when she was seated, but that was just fine with Bella. She would rather have been focusing her attention on the driver anyway.
"You were very impressive with your acting skills tonight," she remarked. "I know you could have easily hit that target all three times." At least with the stuffed animal on her lap, she could wrap one arm around it and let the other free so her hand could seek out his to hold. "But I think one Mortimer is enough," she added. "Three would have been overdoing it."
Jasper smiled and nodded. He wasn't too sorry to leave. While he'd been doing surprisingly well amongst the crowd, the sounds of the conflicting heartbeat rhythms were starting to get louder in his ears. He would've endured it without complaint if Bella wanted to stay, though. He knew being here had made her happy, and he'd enjoyed it as well. All in all, it'd been a good outing for them. They hadn't really gotten much of a chance to act like a "normal" couple since they became one. Going to the library had been one of the few opportunities they'd had to do so, but they were few and far between. Jasper knew his thirst was a hindrance and so was the fact that he didn't eat food. Bella never complained out loud, though Jasper wouldn't have blamed her if she did.
"I think the sign outside said that the fair would be here through the weekend. If we want to come back tomorrow, we can," he said, lightly running his fingers through her hair.
He loved doing that; her long chocolate locks were so soft, and curling his fingers in it and stroking the soft strands were among his favorite things to do while she slept and when he was close enough to her to do so. Though truly, he loved every affection he was able to bestow on her. Jasper was not someone who engaged in that sort of thing with just anyone, but the object of his affection would receive all he had to give. Bella was that person.
When they reached Annabelle, he opened the passenger door for Bella ..and Mortimer. He was beginning to wonder if getting that thing was going to come back to haunt him, but if it made Bella happy -which it clearly did- then he knew it couldn't have been a mistake. It was a little comical to watch her try to situate herself with the giant moose; Annabelle wasn't a very spacious car, and Mortimer wasn't exactly a small moose. He would've been happy to cram Mortimer in the trunk or strap him to the hood, but Bella was intent on holding him, so he didn't mention it. It did make him feel good when she reached out for his hand, though. Jasper gently laced their fingers and smiled as he started the car and began driving the short distance back to the cabin.
"You have quite a bit of confidence in me to believe that was acting," he said, with a smirk. Of course he could have hit the target dead on each time, but it was fun to tease. "I think I just got lucky. However I do think you're right. Three Mortimers wouldn't have fit in the car." He pulled out onto the main road and drove quickly back towards the house.
"I would say I was your good luck charm, but I have a habit of attracting all the bad luck in the immediate vicinity directly to myself so we'll just leave it at the fact that you have skills with a rifle," she said.
She closed her eyes for a moment when his fingers thread through her hair. Bella loved when he did that; it was soothing for her. She imagined when she weaved her fingers through his curls it had the same effect for him. But also like him, it was one of her favorite things to do. Before he pulled his hand away, she snagged it and brought his wrist to her lips. Kissing the skin, the let go and laced her fingers with his again for the rest of the ride home.
Author's Note: So, here we got a little glimpse into Bella and Jasper having a date. This was one of our favorite scenes as it allowed them to interact like any other normal human couple going out and having a good time - while at the same time, still being true to to what they are (Jasper being a very old vampire, trying to understand the concept of cotton candy). We'll see more of that coming up. Thank you as always for reading and for you comments. We love hearing from you all so please keep them coming! Cheers!
Lyrics: She Paints Me Blue - Something Corporate