I'll give you every thing I can
I'll build your dreams with these two hands
We'll hang some memories on the walls
And when just the two of us are there
You won't have to ask if I still care ;;
It wasn't a long drive at all from the carnival. They were there in a couple of minutes. While Jasper came around to her side of the car to open her door, Bella shifted Mortimer again in her arms. He seemed heavier than when she had been carrying him around the fairgrounds, but she just figured it was because she'd had a little rest from doing so. Either way, she was still determined to get him into the cabin on her own. Not only into the cabin, but all the way up the stairs and into the middle of their bed.
"Will you look after him for me while I take a shower?" she asked. "He needs to get used to his new home. I imagine it's a far cry from being crowded in a plastic bag with other stuffed animals and being handled by carnies," she said.
She kissed Jasper once and gave the oversized moose a pat on his fluffy head. "You look after him too, Mortimer," she said with a grin. "I'm pretty sure I was promised something along the lines of being crawled into bed with and I don't want anyone backing out on me," she teased, looking at up to Jasper again.
With that promise in mind, it didn't take Bella long to get herself ready for bed. It wasn't necessarily that late in the evening yet and she wasn't tired, but she was looking forward to being in bed with Jasper. It remained to be her favorite way to unwind after a day. It had been since the first night he spent with her in her room, the first time they kissed. That was the memory she was thinking about while she was in the shower. It was enough to keep a smile on her face for the duration of it.
It was funny how just thinking about him could lift her spirits to such elevated levels. Whether she was dwelling in past memories or thinking about ones to come, it didn't matter; Bella was always in such a good mood. This evening, she was particularly giddy. It was almost assuredly to blame in part because of the sugar in the cotton candy as well, but whatever the case, it had her eager to see him sooner rather than later. She didn't even finish drying her hair the whole way after she'd dressed in her pajamas before going to find him. When she did, Jasper was in the kitchen, back turned and cooking something or other from what she could gather.
Adopting a determined grin, she closed the distance between them with a little sprint, jumping onto his back and locking her arms and legs around him. Of course, since Bella lacked all things that were associated with grace, balance, or coordination, she started slipping immediately. It didn't help that she was laughing either.
Jasper just kind of stared at the moose after Bella departed to take her shower. It's blank, dark eyes were staring at him and he found it a little off-putting. It almost looked smug, as if it knew that Bella had been cuddling it and giving it affection. For about half a minute, the two stared at each other without blinking. It was an intense stare off, and Jasper even growled a bit before he grabbed the moose and dragged it downstairs similarly to how he would've dragged his prey off to drain its blood.
The setting sun glinted off the sharp knife blade as Jasper brought it down quickly onto the chopping block, setting to work. There was a look of intensity on his face as he sliced and diced, chopped and carved. His eyes narrowed, but a smirk tugged at his lips as he twirled the knife around in his hand.
No, he wasn't carving up Mortimer.
The stuffed moose was sitting at the kitchen table. Jasper was working on making a snack for Bella. Though she'd had cotton candy at the fair, that was hardly anything of substance. Through the duration of her shower, he worked on cutting up various fruits for her to eat. He'd started by washing everything, and then began to place it on a plate. After a few minutes, he'd lined the plate with strawberries and orange slices, but it just didn't seem good enough for her. The plate looked, well, boring. He eyed the cantaloupe and a few of the other fruits, and then a sideways smirk tugged at his lips.
By the time he heard Bella coming out of the bathroom, he'd finished his arrangement. There were cantaloupes cut into the shapes of flowers, pineapples cut into stars, grapes stacked on toothpicks, and intricate designs cut into everything else. He'd arranged everything very elaborately, almost like a bouquet. He glanced back at Mortimer and raised an eyebrow as if to say, "top that," and then went back to making another stack of grapes.
That was when Bella decided to come downstairs. He heard her breathing along with her footsteps and he knew when she started to run at him. He smirked a half-second before he felt her warm, soft body plow into his back. Jasper hoped she didn't hurt herself in the process, but given the laughter and joy he felt from her, he knew she was okay. He felt her start sliding down his body and reached back to catch her, pulling her up onto his back so that she could wrap her arms around his neck if she wanted. He held onto her thigh and turned his head back towards her.
"Oh, hello."
He chuckled lightly, then nodded towards the fruit display. "I thought you might be hungry. We can take it upstairs if you'd like."
Bella was still giggling when he shifted her so that she would be better situated on his back. It wasn't like Bella to be so giggly or giddy. She had a sense of humor of course, but hers was often based on one that was much more sarcastic as opposed to anything else. She was never seen having fits of shrill laughter amongst a group of girls or anything of that nature. It was a very rare occasion that she would catch a case of the giggles. In fact, she couldn't remember when it was this bad. She laughed with Jasper often – it was one of the best qualities in their relationship; the fun of it. But this night seemed to be particularly laughter-inducing.
The cotton candy. It had to be.
It didn't matter the cause though in the end. She wouldn't trade the occasional giggle fit when it appeared. But because it was Bella, the giggling part didn't last very long, sugar high or not. She settled herself and readjusted her arms and legs around him so that she felt secure, arms moving around his neck instead of his torso where they had ended up when she failed to successfully jump high enough. But lacking actual laughter or not, nothing would be able to take away the smile on her face. She buried it against his back, between his shoulder blades, before kissing that spot. Lifting her head, she rested her chin on his shoulder and peered down at what he'd made for her.
The brunette was shocked at what she saw. It wasn't just a couple of pieces of cut up fruit. It really did look a bouquet of flowers. Everything was so intricately done, appearing to be more like a piece of art as opposed to something she could actually eat. But at the same time, it looked like the most appetizing concoction she'd ever seen. She didn't realize that she was hungry until she saw it. The cotton candy was delicious of course, but it wasn't the best as far as satiating one's appetite was concerned. Throw in the fact that he said they could take it back upstairs and Bella was very pleased.
"That sounds good," she said. Holding onto him a little bit tighter instead of dropping down to her feet, she kissed the spot below his ear. "One ticket for a ride up on the ferris wheel please," she said with a grin. This would be a better ride than the one they would have had back at the town carnival.
"We'll have to make a quick stop for Mortimer though," she said, glancing back to the moose sitting at the kitchen table. She noted him fondly before she'd jumped on Jasper. It was sweet that he'd brought her stuffed animal downstairs with him.
Jasper loved the playfulness that they'd developed between each other in their relationship. He'd never dreamed he'd be able to be so relaxed around Bella that he could play with her, and yet they seemed to do that just as much as everything else. They could laugh with each other easily, and there was often a playful undertone to their verbal interaction. It was very nice that they had a very similar sense of humor. Jasper was as sarcastic as she was and it worked well in their banter. And yet, they could be sweet and playful and it was just as entertaining. It was never boring and never tiring.
"Yes ma'am," he said, picking up the plate of fruit while still holding onto her. He paused when she addressed the issue of Mortimer. "The moose might have to wait this one out. I don't think I carry you, the fruit, and Mortimer. I might be a vampire, but I still only have two hands."
He knew that the moose made her happy, though, and leaving it down here probably wasn't an option. He didn't want to put her down, either. "So I'll just have to come back for him, won't I?" Jasper shot Mortimer a glare, but then grinned back at Bella and took off upstairs. He didn't move too fast, but definitely quicker than the average human.
Once he'd gotten her up the stairs and into the bedroom, he set the fruit bouquet on her night stand and then gently set her on the bed. "One second," he said, and kissed the top of her head.
Jasper turned and raced down the stairs. He grabbed the moose and in an instant was back in the room. He put it on the edge of the bed, and then crawled in next to her. He didn't really want the moose there, but he knew she probably did. As long as it didn't get in his way, he'd cope with it being there. Jasper reached over and picked up the plate, setting it in his lap. Then he slid his arm around her shoulders, picked up one of the strawberries, and held it up to her lips for her to eat.
Taking a ride up the stairs via Jasper's back was much more fun than it would have been on the actual ferris wheel as she predicted. For one thing, it was just the two of them which was always something that proved to be a bit more beneficial when she wanted to be close to him. And another thing, she could be closer to him now than she would have been at the carnival and not be wary of onlookers. Besides, it didn't hurt that she was in her pajamas now which were a little more comfortable than her jeans and she had a delicious looking treat waiting for her as well that she could already tell rivaled the cotton candy.
She laughed when he joked about what his vampire-abilities didn't include and pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. When he set her on the bed, she shifted back a little bit so she could rest against the headboard. By the time she'd done that, Jasper was already beside her and Mortimer was settled comfortable near the foot of the bed. His arm around her shoulder allowed her to snuggle into his side. When he brought a strawberry to her lips, she lifted an eyebrow at him.
"This is a little cliché, isn't it?" she teased before taking the fruit between her teeth. It was a different sort of sweet than the cotton candy she'd had at the fair, but it was just as appetizing. Probably the safer bet as well considering the other treat had her a bit light-headed before.
"I didn't realize you were such an artist," she said as she got a better look at the shapes he'd made. Reaching over, she picked up one of the skewers of grapes, pulling one off to pop into her mouth. "So let's recount. You're a moose-winner, a fruit architect, and a romantic," she said, eating another one of the grapes. "And all with only two hands. How do you do it?"
Jasper enjoyed doing little things for Bella, like surprising her with a trip to the library, or winning her a giant moose, or putting together a meal for her. She was always so genuinely grateful and never expected him to do things like that; he could feel her sincerity when she thanked him, and her happiness at being surprised. It was fun for him, almost as if he was the one receiving the gift instead. For him to be able to make her so happy, whether it was from taking her for a drive, or just a simple kiss on the head, made Jasper feel very fulfilled.
"It might be," he said, smirking. "But at least I'm not dressed in a toga or something equally as embarrassing, simultaneously fanning you with a large palm leaf while feeding you grapes. Though I am sad to admit, I've accidentally been exposed to Emmett in such a predicament. Believe me, it could be much worse than this."
He chuckled, dismissing the ridiculous imagery before it became permanently etched in his mind. He offered her the skewer of grapes next and just leaned against her as she ate from it. He really didn't know he had the ability to create something like this. It was just one of those things where he started doing it, and this was the result.
"I didn't either. I've never cut up fruit before." He shrugged innocently and nuzzled into her hair.
As he counted off his abilities, he was thankful for the inability to blush. "Well, you did forget that I'm pretty good at building sandcastles, and finding you in mirrored fun-houses. But who's counting, really?" He laughed a little and picked up one of the flowered cantaloupe pieces. "It's not quite a daffodil, but I'll work on it." He placed it in his palm and held it out for her. "At least it's edible." For her, anyway. He was doing a pretty good job of not letting his distaste for the moose on the bed to show, though he was really beginning to understand that whole "three's a crowd" phrase pretty well.
That was another one of the best parts of their relationship – how giving they were to one another. It was obvious that financially and materialistically speaking that Jasper was far more capable of giving her such things of the same nature than Bella was for him. But that wasn't where the giving came from. The giving was letting her curl up to him while she was sleeping. The giving was letting her kiss him often, touching him in little ways. By allowing these things, Jasper was giving her far more than enough. Bella was always happy to give the same in return. Anything that she could have given him to result in his happiness was something that she wouldn't think twice about. She felt that way especially when she would question him about his human life and he would light up at the memories. She felt as if that was the best thing she could help him with and seeing the payoff in his smile was better than any gift she could have received herself. Thus, she could fully understand his mindset about the joy of giving.
Immediately upon mention of him having caught Emmett in such a position, Bella made a face, scrunching her nose and wincing at the thought of it. "Don't make me lose my appetite," she begged.
Emmett was a jokester for sure and it was no secret that his favorite material was anything that involved sexual undertones. He seemed to have a habit of trying to make Bella blush whenever possible. It had been a very long time though since she was the subject of any of his jokes, though somehow she didn't doubt that she would be the next time she saw him considering she was currently occupying a cabin alone hundreds of miles away with his brother. The thought of Emmett catering to Rosalie didn't surprise her, but it did disgust her. She would never want to be fawned over in such a way, especially since she would have bet her life on the fact that it was Rose's idea and not Emmett. Bella couldn't even imagine asking Jasper something like that. She was making sure that he wasn't feeding her everything now even, just to make it clear to him that he didn't have to do something like that when she was capable.
"I guess you've never really had a need," she said, leaning her head against his when he nuzzled her still slightly damp hair. Bella grinned when he added a few of his accomplishments to her growing list. "I don't know how I could have forgotten those considering I had to pay you back for each one of them," she said.
Of course, they were all prizes he would have gotten regardless of any of their games with one another. When he held out the flower to her and explained what he'd been trying for, she was touched by the gesture. It was sweet of him to remember the significance of daffodils for her, especially since they quickly became her favorite flower. Bella never had a favorite before. In Phoenix, it was far too hot to have normal gardens. It was mostly just cactus flowers if any were to bloom. But ever since the first night she had that dream, the golden flowers were sentimental. That entire night had been from there on out.
"It's still pretty impressive," she said, tracing around the fruit flower in his hand with the tip of her forefinger to admire it for a moment longer. "Especially for such short notice. Imagine what you could have done if I would have taken a bath," she said, taking the flower from his hand and picking off the middle to pop into her mouth. It tasted even better than it looked. All of it had so far.
"And definitely edible," she nodded after she'd eaten the cantaloupe petals as well.
The greatest gift for him to receive was being able to feel her happiness. It was very important to him that her happiness be constant. Anytime he could contribute to that happiness was something that meant the world to him. Everything seemed to be working out between them now. They'd hit a rough patch, though it was not actually intentional; it had all been due to misunderstandings perpetuated by others. It had been rough, devastating even, but they'd managed to get through it and actually, Jasper thought they were better off for it. He was happier now than he'd been in a long time, and he could feel she was very happy as well. It almost seemed impossible that he could be so happy, and that he was able to love her so much.
He chuckled when she mentioned losing her appetite over Emmett and Rosalie's sexcapades, though there was an obvious bitterness that even he shared at the thought of Emmett's mate. Jasper had never really had much of a problem with Rosalie before now. She'd always been annoying and catty, but they'd always shared a quiet, unexpected bond that developed when they began masquerading as twins. He thought he'd understood her, and they had both shared feelings in their dislike for who they were as vampires. However, any shred of a bond they once had was completely destroyed by Rosalie's actions as of late. He wanted nothing to do with her ever again after the way she'd disrespected his memory of Alice and her cruelty towards Bella. It was unforgivable. Still, he had no contempt towards Emmett. He just felt sorry for his brother at times because he knew he often sacrificed his own fun and happiness for his mate, and that never seemed fair to Jasper at all.
"No, I suppose not," he said, taking one of her hands in his.
It was true, he'd never really had to cater to a human directly before. They'd always blended with humans, and he'd always taken extra care to make sure he didn't slip up. However, he'd always avoided direct contact and he certainly didn't adhere to their nutritional needs. Since being with Bella, though, the human world was thrust onto him in a completely different way. It was foreign to him, but it came effortlessly, just like everything else that came along with being with her.
Jasper smiled as she took the flower-shaped treat and ate it. It made him happy to see her enjoying it so much. Once she'd finished the cantaloupe, he took her hand and started to thread their fingers, then loosened them, then laced them again. He liked the contrasting feelings of hot and cold whenever he touched her. He also just liked playing with her fingers.
"If you'd taken a bath, I would've just brought it to you while you relaxed," he whispered. "Maybe even joined you, too..."
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers, then laced their fingers again and rested his head against hers. If they never left this place, he'd be perfectly fine with that. He only needed his Bella.
Bella blamed Jasper for her fixation with hands. Rather, her fixation with his hands. She too, liked the way they contrasted in temperature. When they had been on the porch after having their serious discussion upon the early evenings of their stay at the cabin, it had been their hands that sparked her comment about the differences between them. But this particular difference was one that fascinated her. She didn't understand – or rather, couldn't explain – how they seemed to fit together so perfectly despitesuch differences. But it was just indicative of how not everything in their relationship needed to be explained in order to make sense.
Her eyes followed his fingers as they laced together with hers and then loosened their hold. She shifted herself a little bit more so she could comfortably lean into the crook of his body and his arm around her, resting her head against his when he did the same. His comment about the bath instantly caused her cheeks to flush. It didn't ever seem to matter if it was an idea that Bella was keen on or if it was one that she was just embarrassed by, her body always had the same reaction with the rush of blood to her face. It happened to be, this time, that she was verykeen on such an idea. She hoped he wouldn't think that with the way her cheeks flushed, that he was making her uncomfortable. That wasn't the case at all.
"Damn shower," she mumbled with a grin, tilting her face back to nuzzle his cheek, brushing her nose against it softly.
"I'll keep that in mind for next time," she said. "I wouldn't be opposed to taking you up on that offer now actually, but I'd feel bad that we didn't make prior arrangements for Mortimer. We wouldn't want him to be left alone because of our bad planning skills," she said, linking her fingers with his and giving his hand a squeeze. "We'll need to look into some sort of moose babysitting system. Think we could find one of those in town?"
She unlinked her fingers with his again and pressed the tips of them all together, lining them up. The temperature difference was evident even there, in the smallest of touches as she spread her fingers apart and then brought them together again.
Curling the tips of her fingers, she made her hand into half of a heart shape against his hand which in turn, would make the other half. This brought a fond smile to her lips as she examined them, leaning her temple against his chin.
"I think your artistry is rubbing off on me," she said proudly.
She tilted her face back again to press her lips to the area just below his jawline. There was no need aside from the fact that she liked the closeness of him to her and frequent reminders of it such as the one of the kiss were things she engaged in often.
It was true that they did have differences; in fact it was blatantly obvious. To Jasper, these differences complimented each other. While some were more extreme than others, they weren't hindering to their love. He'd admittedly been terrified that they would at first; he was scared he'd hurt her or worse, but being with Bella had actually helped him more than anything else probably could. She made him feel whole again, as was evident in how perfectly her hand fit in his.
He grinned a little as she played along with his idea for a bath together. The bathtub would be large enough for them, and the thought of lounging with her in the warm water was very alluring. Not only that, it excited him a bit as it brought back memories of their night in the hot tub. Repeating it in the bathtub wasn't his only intent when he suggested it, though. He liked the idea of the intimacy, and how the warm water made his body less chilling. His eyes closed as she nuzzled his cheek. He loved any token of affection she bestowed on him; he could feel her desire to be affectionate, and it was so very sweet.
Of course, as soon as the subject of the moose on the end of their bed was brought up, Jasper got a little twitchy. "Yes, perish the thought that Mortimer spend time by himself," he said, though there was no hint of malice in his voice.
He certainly didn't want Bella to know he was jealous of a stuffed animal. It was silly, and he knew that logically it made no sense for him to harbor such feelings, but he couldn't help it! "I'm sure there's a moose watching service somewhere. Better yet, we could put him outside in his natural environment and let him make friends that way."
Jasper liked that idea a lot, actually.
His jealousy melted away when she started playing with their hands again. He watched as she formed half of a heart with her hand and his fingers instinctively formed the other. It was symbolic, really. They'd both had their hearts ripped in half, but now they were two halves of the same heart. Jasper smiled at the thought.
"Maybe so.." he mused softly, sighing contently as she kissed at his jaw.
He turned to the side a little and kissed her then, holding her close to him as he laced their fingers. It wasn't an intense kiss, but it wasn't too light, either. It was one that clearly spoke that he loved her, but still was very unassuming.
Bella didn't notice anything amiss at all when Jasper spoke of Mortimer. She surely would have laughed if she knew what he true feelings were about the little – rather, the giant- moose. If he was worried that anyone was taking his place, stuffed animal or not, he could not have been more wrong. There was no one else who could fit that space. There was not one other person who could fill the other half of her heart. The way that his fingers fit with hers, especially in the way that they just naturally shaped to form the other side of the shape she was making was a sign of this. Maybe it was a silly one, yes. But Bella took it right to heart and it made her feel fulfilled.
People always said that things happened for a reason. Perhaps all the negativity in their pasts occurred for this – being together, the two of them. Maybe that was how things were meant to be. It was not something that could have been predicted to be sure, but if it was foreseen, then it probably would not have worked out in the same manner in which it had. They might not be in this very spot right now. But whether fate was to blame or not, Bella was positive that never in her life did she feel the same way about anyone as she did about Jasper. That isn't to say that she didn't love before – she had. Deeply. But this was different. Bella felt as if she were so alive with Jasper. She didn't have to think so much, but rather, could rely on feeling. Such a thing allowed for other sides of her to come out, sides that most people would never see. She could be quite playful when she wanted to be. She could even be somewhat… seductive, she learned. Though for the latter, she would still deny that it was intentionally and if her seduction ever worked, it surely was by mistake. In that department, she was still lacking some confidence, but the more time she spent with Jasper, the more intimate they became, the better at accepting what she was capable she grew.
It never ceased to surprise her how taken she was with him whenever he kissed her. It took her breath away every single time, no matter if it was just a light peck on the lips when she would shift in his arms to get more comfortable when they were just lounging around or across the table when she was eating breakfast in the mornings, or if it was a deeper kiss, one that was rooted in passion and made it impossible to keep hands off one another. Everything in between had the same effect on her. And the best part? She could always feel his happiness. She could always tell that he was just as happy to be close to her, just as happy with his lips pressed against hers as she was. That was an amazing feeling. To know that she had something to do with his elated feelings was priceless.
That was how it was currently when he kissed her. She could still taste the lingering sweetness of the fruit on her lips and mixed with the taste of Jasper, it was heavenly for Bella. She tilted her face toward his, returning the kiss that feel perfectly in between light and passionate. Because it tasted so good, she couldn't help but to put a little bit more pressure against his mouth, squeezing his fingers when they laced with hers. Her other hand lifted to brush against his cheek, resting against the cool, smooth skin there.
"You taste good," she observed when she had to begrudgingly pull back for a breath. Her tongue slid between her lips to taste the bottom one. "Hm," she remarked with a grin.
Jasper never wanted to endure the pain he'd gone through when he lost Alice again, or the devastation of when he thought Bella no longer loved him. He did not want Bella to have to go through any of her pain and sorrow again either. But, he thought that it was because of that pain that they were able to love each other so much and cherish what they had now. Things would no doubt be different now if the events of their past had not happened, but the thing was, they had happened. They couldn't change the past; they only had the present, the now to focus on. They were living in the moment, so to speak, and doing so with each other. It was wonderful, and he was very happy.
Bella's kisses would have had the same effect on Jasper if he had a breath that could be taken, or a beating heart that could skip and flutter. As it was, he mostly felt the rush of sensations and feelings coming from her, and they had a similar result within him. They ignited feelings within him that he didn't realize he had. Kissing her was like kissing an open flame, only instead of getting painfully burned, he was touched by the flame of passion. He could also feel the purity of her love. It was a beautiful feeling that he did not take for granted.
One of his favorite things about Bella was how humble she was. She was beautiful, and Jasper knew he wasn't the only person who thought so. She was smart, too, and very sweet and kind, even with her dry wit and sarcasm. The beauty of it was that she never flaunted it. Though, she could have if she wanted, yet she did not. Jasper sometimes even wondered if she truly knew how gifted she was in so many ways. Whether she did or not, she was beautiful to him and sometimes he still questioned what she saw in him. He did not, however, question her love. That was something he could always feel from her (save for the time when he could not feel anything), and he knew it was true. He felt very lucky, and it was all because of her.
He made the softest sound as she returned his kiss, giving one of her own. His fingers curled a little tighter around her shoulder as he held her to him, though he was mindful not to spill the fruit plate. He wouldn't have cared if he did, but he wanted to make sure she had all she wanted of it and not waste it if she was still hungry. Jasper opened his eyes just in time to see her lick her bottom lip. It sent a rush of unexplainable feelings through his body and he had to close his eyes for a moment to let the feeling pass. He reopened them and smiled fondly at her, then kissed her forehead and settled back against the bed.
"I think you mean the fruit," he said with a bit of a smirk and held up another strawberry for her.
"No," Bella assured him, giving him another kiss as he settled back down against the bed. "But I'd be happy to spend the rest of the night proving that to you long after the fruit is finished," she said, a little gleam catching the warm chocolate brown in her gaze.
And that was exactly how the rest of the evening went until the exhaustion of the long day took over and Bella took into a sweet sleep.
Author's Note: Just another sweet chapter to show the interaction between the two of them. We hope you enjoyed it. Please remember to review our story! The next two chapters take a turn for the... VERY intimate. That's all we'll really say! :D Are you excited? Let us know!
Lyrics: I Swear - All 4 One