If on a Winter's Night

by Touchstone67

One fateful, winter's night, Edward and Jasper's lives are turned upside down. Is their relationship strong enough to withstand the aftermath, or will they be driven apart forever? Rated M for sexual situations, language. AH J/E slash

19. The Things That You Do

Disclaimer: S. Myer owns all, but what I wouldn't give for a Jasper of my very own-sigh.

A/N-Yeah, I know…I say I won't repeat and then I do it, but I wanted to show exactly what put Jasper in that frenzied state after basketball practice, and I didn't think anyone would mind the truck scene again. Also this chapter, especially the last third, is dialogue heavy.

This chapter is unbeta'd, all mistakes, grammatical and otherwise, are mine. Thank you to everyone that has read, recommended, reviewed, and learned from these boys.

Special thanks to Dannie, who stuck by me for so long with this story, if it wasn't for her encouragement and faith in my writing, these boys wouldn't be here.

Now Jasper pov

"**~~**"

If on a winter's night he hadn't tried to overcome his fear…

"**~~**"

I was so fucking proud of my boy.

Leaning back against the row of bleachers behind me, I rested my elbows on it and stretched my legs out in front of me, putting my feet on the bench below me. My eyes never left Edward as he sat next to Sam while the rest of the team ran a drill. There was no hiding Edward's nervousness, hell, I had felt in the truck the entire ride, but regardless of how scared he was, he was out there.

He was going to try.

I thought when I had told him that Sam had seen his game film that it would ease his nervousness, but it had only seemed to make him more worried, fearing he couldn't live up to the able-bodied boy that had scored all those points in the videos. He had said that wasn't him anymore, but I knew it was. Even though Edward hadn't changed, he felt betrayed by his body, he was being forced to relearn things that had previously been second nature to him.

"Babe, it's going to be fine. Just do your thing," I had told him.

"My thing?" he had repeated, trying hard not to smile.

"Yeah, you know, you're basketball thing. The mad Cullen skills."

"Cullen mad skills," he had chuckled.

"You got them, flaunt them," I had smiled before turning up the music and making him sing along with "Love Me Do".

As soon as we had entered the gym, Sam came right over to us, greeting Edward with a smile. But before Edward had followed Sam across the gym, he looked worriedly up at me.

"You can do this," I had reminded him quietly. "Mad Cullen skills."

Sam introduced Edward to the rest of team, who seemed pretty welcoming. There had been a few cautionary glances, which was to be expected when anyone new intruded into an already established team. They didn't know who he was, what he was like, or if he was a threat to them.

After Sam and Edward had watched the team for a few minutes, Sam called out to one of the players, who then motioned for Edward to follow him down the other end. As Edward had gone to move, he looked over at me. Tilting my head, I'd gazed at him, telling him I loved him without ever speaking. When the blush danced across his cheeks, I knew he'd heard my silent words.

At the other end, Edward and the other boy talked for a minute and I saw a look of surprise, then familiarity cross the other kid's face. Then he moved under the basket while Edward pushed his chair to the top of the arc. I could almost hear his heart pounding all the way across the gym as he hesitated with the ball on his lap.

"You can do it, baby," I muttered under my breath. Gnawing on the inside of my cheek, I watched as Edward picked up the ball from his lap and then lifted his arms and shot, sighing in relief when the ball fell through the hoop.

While I didn't want to look away from Edward, I glanced at the other guy and saw the look of awe on his face when Edward sank his third three-pointer in a row. Beaming, I watched my boy strut his stuff, the way he instinctually caught the ball and shot without anymore reluctance. Gazing at Edward, I watched his body move, the control he had over his arms and hands, the way he held the ball firmly but briefly before shooting, and the way he fucking flicked his wrist after he shot. I saw the concentration on Edward's face, the tip of his tongue stuck out between his lips as he aimed and made another shot. Swallowing, I shifted slightly, trying to deny the stirring I felt in my groin. Amazed by my boy, the other guy wheeled over to Edward and began to show him how to dribble in the chair. While sitting still in his chair, Edward did fine. He could dribble just about anywhere anytime, but when he tried to move the chair and dribble at the same time, he fumbled and looked clumsy. It didn't take long before I could see the frustration growing around him, but he fought through it just like I knew he could. After he'd tried it a few more times, he stopped and then grabbed the bottom of his sweatshirt, pulled it over his head and tossed it aside, exposing his buff shoulders and arms.

"Fuck," I groaned. Any thoughts I'd had about not getting hard went to hell when I saw Edward's upper body in a clinging, damp tee shirt. Even sitting across the gym, I saw beads of sweat glisten on his biceps and roll down his face and I closed my eyes.

Everything Edward did made me hard, even just breathing in the same room as me, but there had always been something about watching him move and the control he had over his body that went straight to my dick. The slight flush to his already perfect cheeks, the way his hair got messy, and his eyes light up with the fire and energy that coursed through him were such a turn on. Whether it was running with me, playing basketball, or lifting weights in his dining room, watching Edward simply excited me.

Even before we were together, I would go to his basketball games and sit next to Bella and cheer on the team, though there was only one player that I cared about cheering for. For almost an hour I would watch him run up and down the court for fast breaks, pass the ball with deadly accuracy, and weave in and out of the opposing team while running and dribbling. It didn't matter that I was sitting on the bleachers in a crowd of several hundred people, I would get hard. After ever game I would go home and jerk off to images of Edward in his basketball uniform, and imagined him moving around the gym just for me.

I had thought the first game I went to after we had begun dating would be different. I'd touched his body and sucked his cock, so watching him move wouldn't affect me as much because then I already knew what he smelled like after working out, how incredible the cock in his shorts felt, I had already kissed and explored every muscle that rolled under the skin of his back and shoulders.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

After the first game, Edward wanted to go out for ice cream, and we did, but watching his tongue lick and lap his cone when I wanted it lick and lap my cock it only made my erection worse. He dropped me off at my house and I kissed him good night before running inside. Ignoring my parents, I took the stairs three at a time. Slamming my door closed, I undid the button and fly on my jeans, opening them just enough to get my cock out. Leaning back against the door, I stroked myself. I closed my eyes and saw Edward licking his ice cream, knowing his cool tongue would have felt amazing along the length of my cock. Three hard drags later I came, my load shooting from my cock and landing on my floor before the rest ebbed down my hand. Panting, I took a few deep breaths, jumping when there was a knock on the door my back was against.

"Yeah?" I gasped, my heart still pounding from my climax, my cock still seeping cum.

"You okay?" my mother asked from the other side.

"Umm," I glanced down at my semi hard cock and smirked. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Feel okay?"

"I'm fine," I repeated more firmly. "Just remembered I've got some studying to do."

"It's Friday."

Shit.

"Lots of homework this weekend. See ya in the morning."

She paused, debating on whether or not to push me. I was relieved when she decided not to. "Night," she said before walking away.

It was that way after every game, except for the ones when we were sleeping over the other's house and I got to jerk off with Edward watching, or even better, feel his lips around my cock and his damp hair in my hands.

Seeing Edward play now, even if it was in a chair, affected me exactly same way as before. Every move he made, every smile, every shot, only made me want him more.

Sam joined Edward and the other boy, talking with them for a moment before calling the rest of the team down. While Edward watched from the sidelines, the other players went three on three. There one girl who was pretty good, better than a few of the boys, but not nearly as good as Edward. There were three boys that all looked Native American, and there was a younger looking kid with glasses and another with red hair. The one who had worked with Edward looked comfortable in his chair. He moved it around effortlessly, weaving in and out of the other players while dribbling, he smiled and said encouraging words to his teammates. Glancing back at Edward, I saw him eyeing the boy, and I could see it on his face.

The desire to be just like him.

Edward happened to look up at me right then and I gave him a small wave. He blushed and smiled.

My boy was pretty damn perfect.

One of the other players approached him and they spoke, I saw Edward nod and even laugh once. Sam ended practice, bringing the team back over to the sidelines. I could tell Edward was hesitant to join them, but then the boy with nice brown hair motioned him over and Edward went eagerly. The other players filed out of the gym while Sam talked to Edward. I made my way down the bleachers, casually adjusting myself when no one was looking, and went to the door to wait for Edward. When they were done, he rolled across the gym, his cheeks pink from exertion, sweat still gathering on his forehead.

My cock twitched and I swallowed.

"How'd it go?" I asked as we headed down the corridor.

"Okay, I guess," he shrugged. "I'm not very good. I can't dribble for shit."

"Babe, you're not going to be perfect you're first time."

"I used to be."

"Sure, after years of practice. You'll pick it up," I reminded him.

We reached the truck and I lifted him inside before putting his chair in the back and getting in. Once the truck was running and the heat was on, I moved closer to Edward and kissed him.

"I'm so proud of you, baby," I murmured.

I might have been able to just pull away and drive him home, but then he touched my face so reverently that my breath caught. Before I could stop myself, I was kissing him again, then straddling him, then begging him to touch me.

"I need you to touch me," I admitted, nibbling down his neck. "I need you so bad, baby."

"We're in a parking lot."

"It's empty."

"It's public."

"Remember what we used to do after your games? You know what watching you play does to me, and I can't wait until we get home."

My lips never stop licking along his delicious, salty skin. Even if he said no, I was going to at least tongue fuck him, but when he put the image of him and me in the back of my dad's truck in the middle of the field, my cock throbbed even more and I knew I couldn't leave that parking lot without some kind of relief. Everything Edward did owned me, our lives had collided the day we met, never to separate again, and sometimes realizing that was overwhelming, and I knew he felt it too.

Sometimes it scared us both.

"We…should…go," he stuttered, but I knew his mind was already made up. He just needed one more push.

"Baby, we've done this at school during the day before. It's dark, there's no one around and I'm fucking hard as a rock after watching you play. Just touch me," I begged, dropping my forehead to his shoulder and moving my hips along his thighs. I pleaded for more when he palmed my cock, sliding back on his lap to give him enough room to undo my pants.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," he mumbled even as he touched me. "I never knew I had such a slutty boyfriend."

Chuckling, I lifted my head. "I can't help it, you're so fucking hot," I replied honestly.

There was no more thought after that, once his fingers wrapped around me, I kissed him, plunging my tongue into his mouth, never seemingly able to get enough of him. His hand was still on me while I moved over his thighs, shamelessly wanting more of whatever he was going to give me. As soon as he began to stroke, I felt like I was going to come undone.

I needed more.

Sitting up, I gazed at him as I took off my sweatshirt and hooked my tee shirt over my head. Then I leaned back against the dashboard, giving him more room to stroke me and giving me more room to watch him do it. Needing to touch him just as much as I needed him to touch me, I curved a hand around his neck and fisted the hair on the back of his head, using him for leverage as I began to thrust up into his fist.

"Fucking hot," he whispered hoarsely. Groaning, I licked my bottom lip and watched every move he made. "I love it when you can't help yourself."

"Fuck yeah, baby, feels so good."

He ran a hand up my chest, pinching my nipples. Arching my back, I moaned and felt his hand slide down my abdomen. Anticipating exactly where it was heading, I tried to widen my stance to give him more room as he pulled my jeans down more and cupped my balls. "Fuck, please, ba…baby."

Gripping me tighter, he let me fuck his hand. My orgasm was within reach, I could feel it building low in my belly just waiting to spring loose. I was loud, moaning and grunting wantonly, and I could see it in his eyes.

Edward was turned on.

"I wanna see my slutty boy come," he told me. My cock throbbed at the words. As much as he liked to hear it, Edward rarely talked dirty to me, usually nothing more than how good he felt or that he was coming. But hearing those words coming from his swollen lips pushed me to the edge.

"Jesus, so close. Fucking close."

My hips stilled and I let Edward take over, his hand stroking me hard and fast, literally pulling my orgasm from me. Tearing my eyes from the sight of my cock in his fist, I lifted my head and met his own lust laden eyes. As soon as I saw his desire for me in them, I came.

"Fuck," I grunted as my climax hurled through me. The hour I'd sat on the bleachers with a hard on finally came to an end and my cock erupted onto my abdomen in thick ropes of cum. Gripping his hair, my body tensed, every muscle flexing through each wave of the orgasm until I was barely thrusting into his hand. "Babe, that was…fucking wow."

Shaking, I watched his hand as he milked my overly sensitive cock, squeezing out every last drop. Leaning forward, I kissed him, riding out the last of my climax as our tongues lazily swirled together. Breaking the kiss, I moved my lips to his ear.

"I love you so fucking much," I whispered. "I gotta to clean up." I looked around the cab for something to use, finally using my tee shirt when I didn't find anything else. As I cleaned myself, Edward brought his hand up to his mouth and licked my cum off it. "Jesus fucking Christ. You're going to make me fucking hard again." I kissed him, tasking myself mixed with his own flavor.

"We gotta go," he murmured into the kiss. Sighing, I stuffed myself back into my pants and moved off him. After putting on my sweatshirt and doing up my seatbelt, I finally shifted into reverse and backed out. I picked up his hand and brought it to my nose, inhaling my scent on him.

"Mmmm, smells good. Thank you. I really needed that."

"My pleasure," he grinned. I kept my eyes on the road, but I felt his loving gaze on me the entire ride home.

Like I said, my boy was pretty damn perfect.

"**~~**"

"Hey," I said to my mother as I entered the kitchen Friday morning. "Long night at work?"

She was still dressed in her uniform as she sipped coffee from a mug. "Not too bad. Glad to be off though. What are you doing today?"

"Track practice, then a party at Newton's tonight," I said casually. I grabbed cereal, a bowl and the milk before sitting at the island. Pouring the cereal and milk into the bowl, I hunched over it and began eating.

"Sleeping over Edward's?" she asked with a perfectly raised brow.

"Actually," I shoveled a spoonful of cereal into my mouth. "I was thinking about having Edward sleep over here." I kept my eyes on my bowl, but even without looking I could feel her motherly gaze on me.

"You think that's a good idea?"

"I think he needs to feel normal and having him over here was something we used to do all the time, there's no reason why we can't now, right?" I challenged her more than I intended to.

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"Umm, my room?"

"And how is he going to get up there?"

"I'll carry him," I answered with a shrug.

"Carry him?"

"Yeah, I do it all the time."

"You carry him all the time?"

"Well, I lift him into the truck, and if he needs to go up stairs and shi-stuff." Nodding, she took another sip and eyed me. Returning my eyes to my breakfast, I asked, "So can he?"

"Sure, just make sure he's brings the supplies he'll need."

"I will," I smiled.

"You know, you could always sleep in the living room, put the air mattress on the floor," she suggested.

"Nah, that's ok. I can carry him."

"He doesn't mind?"

"Nope," I replied quietly, shoving more food into my mouth. "I need to check with Dr. C and make sure it's okay with him too."

"If it helps, tell him I'm off tonight and I'll be home," she offered. "Meanwhile, I'm going to go get some sleep. I'll see you after the party."

"Okay, thanks."

"Jasper?" I looked up at her in the doorway. "Be careful please."

"I will."

My parents had never stopped me from doing what I wanted, even going to parties. I had never given them reason to. They had raised me to make my own decisions, trusting that I would make the right choices. I had definitely lied to them. I lied to them every time I let them think there was nothing more than friendship between Edward and me. I had lied to them for Edward, and I would continue to for as long as he wanted me to. But Edward's accident reminded them, and me, that I was far from indestructible and they took every chance to remind me of that.

I was glad Dr. Cullen answered the door when I arrived to pick up Edward a little later that morning. He greeted me with a smile. "How'd it go last night?" he asked as I entered.

"Didn't he tell you?"

"A little. He was pretty tired when he got home, so I didn't press him."

"I think it went really well. He still has a fantastic shot, but it's going to take practice to get the dribbling down."

"Did the team seem nice?"

I blushed, feeling guilty that I hadn't really noticed the team. My eyes had barely left Edward, and then on the ride home I was too busy basking in the afterglow of my orgasm to think of asking Edward about the other players.

"I think so, he didn't say they weren't."

"Well, I'm hoping to talk to him when I get home tonight," he said as he headed toward the kitchen. I shuffled along behind him, the blush on my cheeks heating up.

"Um… about tonight."

Glancing at me, he asked, "What about it?"

"The other day Edward asked me if he could come over my house sometime, and I thought maybe he could sleep over tonight. My mom said it was okay," I paused and then quickly added, "If it's okay with you."

Pursing his lips, he furrowed his brows and I began to think the answer was going to be a quick no, but then he eyed me and tilted his head a bit, his features relaxing.

"He'll need a few catheters. And bring his pain meds just in case. Is your mother going to be home if there's a problem?"

"Yes, sir."

He relaxed further knowing someone with medical training was going to be around, then he looked confused. "Isn't your room on the second floor?"

"Yes, sir. I'll carry him," I answered his unasked question.

"Carry him?"

Confused on why that answer confused him and my mother, I clarified, "Up the stairs."

"I know what you meant," he chuckled. "You've got it all planned out already." Before I could deny it, he nodded. "Okay, just keep an eye on him, make sure you get him to the bathroom before bed and first thing in the morning."

"I will. There's one more thing."

"What?"

"Newton invited us to a small birthday party him, Bella, Eric and Angela at his place tonight."

"And you think it would be good for Edward to go and be with his friends."

"Yes, sir."

"Am I going to see my son at all today?" he joked. "He can go, just…please be careful with my son, Jasper."

Always and forever.

"I will," I promised. "Thanks, Dr. Cullen." Before he could reply, I left for Edward's room, sighing when I walked in and saw him.

At school Edward had smiled more than he had in over a week, and I couldn't help but think it was because basketball was back in his life. After school, I walked him to his car, telling him I'd be by about seven to get him for the party. I went through practice eager to get home. It wasn't that I was excited about going to Newton's party, I just wanted to spend some quality time with Edward after it.

As soon as I was home, I went into the garage and rummaged through my father's tools and some scrap wood he had lying around. Finding some that was strong enough to work, I cut it down the size I'd had measured before I had left that morning. I tested it, pretty proud of myself when it lined up almost perfect. Leaving it there, I ran inside to get ready for the party.

To be on the safe side, I jerked off in the shower. It was going to be hard enough to sit near Edward at the party, and I hoped jerking off might alleviate the urge to jump him in front of everyone.

Then again, it didn't matter. Jerking off or not, I was going to want to jump him.

When I walked into Edward's room to get him, he was just pulling on his Abbey Road tee shirt. It fit him tighter than ever, and I might have drooled a little. So much for jerking off in the shower.

"Damn you," I sighed when he covered it up with his basketball sweatshirt. He shook his head and chuckled at me.

"What's the bag for?" he asked pointing to the duffle bag in my hand.

"Nothing," I lied, but then went over to the corner and grabbed three catheter kits and then opened his drawers and stuffed his Star Wars pants, some briefs, socks and a tee shirt into the bag as well. "Where do you keep your pain pills?" I asked, standing up to find him eyeing me suspiciously.

"The drawer in my table."

I grabbed those too, putting them in the small pocket on the outside of the bag. "You ready to go?"

"I don't think I-"

Crouching in front of him, I stopped him. "Babe, if you don't want to go, we won't, but I think it would be good. You had fun on our…date night with them, right?" Staring at me, he nodded. "We don't have to stay long. Use the safe word if you need to, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed quietly. Standing, I picked up the bag and put it over my shoulder. "Now why the bag with my stuff?"

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"You ask way too many questions."

"This surprises you?"

I glanced at him following me down the hall. "Not really, but I'm still to going to answer."

Outside, I helped him into the truck and then put the chair in the back. When I got in, Edward pulled me to him for a kiss. It was brief, but it was exactly what I needed. He pulled away and sighed.

"You okay, babe?"

"Yeah," he nodded and then sat up straight. As soon as I backed the truck out, his hand was already in mine.

We arrived at Newton's house and I got Edward out and we headed up the driveway. There was no ramp, so I turned Edward's chair around and pulled him up the few steps backwards before spinning him around. Newton answered before we knocked.

"Hey!" he grinned as he held the door open for us.

Newton had been right, the party was small, but there was one surprise.

Jessica.

Edward rolled his eyes at me when she came up and kissed my cheek with a perky hello, her hands remaining on my chest a little too long. Moving around her, I led Edward, moving things out of his way to make sure he had enough space to get around the living room. Newton followed behind us, offering something to drink. Edward asked for Mountain Dew and I took bottled water. Newton frowned at our choices, glancing at the bottle of beer in his hand. I sat down at the end of the couch and Edward pulled up next to me. Resting his arms on the chair, his hands hung off the sides, his fingers dangerously close to mine resting on the edge of the couch. My breath hitched when I felt his fingers accidently brushed mine and I had to bite my lip to hold back a groan.

Jerking off in the shower hadn't helped one fucking bit.

Bella bounced over, kissing Edward's cheek and saying hi to me before sitting on a small sofa across from us and folding her legs up. Jessica sat too close to me, almost leaning against me as she laughed and sipped her beer. Eric was on the floor with Angela on his lap, and when Newton returned, he sat next to Bella. His arm resting on the back of the couch around her shoulders did not go unnoticed. The conversation was light, mostly about school, bitching about teachers and catching up on gossip. Edward participated a little, but I knew there was something wrong, something more than being there in the chair. There was a quiet sadness around him, one that hadn't been there during the school day.

Something had happened.

But I wasn't going to be able to find out much at the party. He tried to smile a few times, even almost laughed once, but his small efforts were in vain when I looked into his green eyes and saw the returning storm. Newton got up and went to the kitchen, returning with a cake.

"Bella baked this for me," he bragged as he put it on the table.

"Baking a cake, Bella? Must be love," I teased and she glared at me.

Mike sliced the cake, handing us all pieces on small paper plates. As Edward ate his, a smudge of frosting gathered in the corner of his lips and I swallowed back the urge to lean over and lick it off. His eyes flashed to mine and while he held my gaze, he ran his tongue over his lips, tucking the chocolate frosting into his mouth.

He was going to taste so sweet later.

On my other side, Jessica decided that my thigh was the best place for her hand to oh-so-casually rest. No matter how many times I picked it up and returned it to her own lap, it always seemed to find its my way back to mine. When I looked at Edward for help, he just stared at her long, red fingernails lying on my jeans. The flare in his eyes increased when she leaned over, and using those long nails, pushed my hair aside to murmur in my ear.

"Why don't you take me upstairs, Jasper, and I'll show you a good time," she offered, her drunken whisper loud enough for everyone to hear. Mike's eyebrows shot up and Bella's jaw dropped.

"Spare room is last one on the left," Mike smiled, nodding toward the stairs.

"No thanks," I said, moving my head away from Jessica's wet breath.

"Why not?" Mike asked. "You look like you could use it."

He was right. I could. Just not from her.

"Come on, I promise I'll make you feel real good," she purred.

"I already feel good, thanks," I said, but then I felt her warm tongue on my lobe and I just about leapt into Edward's lap. Squirming away, I glowered at her. "I said no."

Sighing, but not giving up, she sat back and eyed me like prey.

There had been a few times that I had been tempted to out Edward and me. Once at a family barbeque when he was wearing a soaked bathing suit that clung to his cock, a few times when Bella still hinted she wanted him back, and then immediately after the accident. But I had never wanted to out us more than when Jessica was crawling all over me. I tried not to be rude, but she was getting way to fucking touchy.

"Just a kiss then?" she pouted. "I promise if you kiss me, I'll leave you alone."

It was tempting, really fucking tempting, and if I knew for sure she would keep her word, I would have done it, but I suspected that the next time I was near her and she was drunk that she would have forgotten all about the deal.

"I…I…"

It seemed everyone in the room was holding a collective breath waiting for my answer. Jessica angled her head, sticking out her bottom lip to try to entice me.

I blurted out the first thing that came to me.

"I could really go for a Fluffernutter sandwich." I bolted up, wiping my sweaty palms on my thighs as I headed for the kitchen, leaving them all in the living room. Bracing my hands on the counter, I took a few deep breaths. I knew he was behind me even before he spoke. "Sorry."

"For what?"

I turned to make sure we were alone before speaking again. "For all that shit. She's obnoxious when she drinks."

"She obnoxious when she doesn't drink," he chuckled. "You don't have anything to be sorry for."

"Sometimes…sometimes I just want to tell them, ya know? I just want someone to know how much I…" I sighed, afraid even then to say the words in case someone was listening.

"I know," was all he said. It was all he could say. "Why don't we stay for a few more minutes and then head out. I'll say I'm tired."

"Thanks," I said as he turned and I followed him back into the living room. Someone had turned on music and everyone was dancing in the middle of the room. While Edward and I stood off to the side, he watched them move around each other, jumping and swinging.

While I longed to dance with Edward, he longed to just be able to dance.

I desperately wanted to pick him up and hold him like I had in the meadow, but instead I leaned against the wall and watched Newton try to get closer with Bella. Jessica crooked her finger at me as she swayed her hips, but I shook my head no. Finally giving up, she turned and started dancing with Angela.

"Not a single one of them has any rhythm," I said to Edward and he nodded. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah."

I went over to Newton and told him Edward was tired and we were heading out. He waved to Edward and said he would see him Monday. Everyone said goodbye as we headed for the door.

"Wow, that was…" I said as I spun Edward's chair around to ease him down the steps backwards. "Actually I have no words for what that was."

"I agree."

With a solid thump, his chair landed on the paved walkway and he turned it and we went to the truck. Once we were inside, I started the truck and backed out. Edward was quiet, his hand resting loosely in mine between us. He didn't speak until we passed his road.

"Jas?"

"A surprise."

"The last surprise didn't go so well," he grumbled.

"This one will," I promised. We entered my neighborhood and he looked at me, but didn't say anything. He had already put it together, the bag, my street. He knew exactly what was going on.

"But my parents-"

"I cleared it with your dad. And my mom's home." He swallowed thickly and I glanced at him. "Is this okay? The other day you mentioned you wanted to come over so I thought…"

When he looked at me, my heart broke as the anguish on his face. He bit his lip to stop it from quivering. "Where will I sleep? I don't want to be alone."

"Baby, I would never leave you alone. We're going to sleep in my room, like we always do."

"But the stairs?"

"I think I can handle them." Exhaling, he continued to chew on his lip and look out the window. I pulled into my driveway and turned to him. "If you want me to take you home, I will. I just thought since you–" He stopped me with a finger to my lips.

"I want to stay."

I kissed his finger, then leaned forward and kissed his lips before getting out and bringing his chair around. I put him in the chair and then reached in and grabbed the duffle bag. He moved around the truck toward my front door and then stopped. Turning, he looked up at me with pure love and my heart melted inside me.

"It's not as nice as yours, and it's steep, but it should hold you."

He pushed the chair to the edge of the hastily made ramp that covered the steps to my porch. Then he glanced over his shoulder at me before rocking his chair forward and pushing himself up the ramp to my front door. Standing at the bottom, I watched him as he reached for the door and opened it, just as he would have any other time. Smiling, I joined him as he was pushing himself through the door. He was barely inside before my mother was throwing herself at him.

"Edward!" Already dressed in her pajamas, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

"Hey, Mrs. Whitlock," Edward replied. She released him and stepped back.

"You look great," she smiled at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good. Still sucks though," Edward answered honestly.

"Yeah, it sure does."

My mother and Edward had always had a good relationship. Sometimes they would sit next to each other during my track meets, and whenever he was over for dinner they would have in depth conversations about The Beatles. They both found it endlessly amusing to tease me.

"I baked some brownies earlier if you guys want some. I also stocked up on the Mountain Dew and I think there's popcorn in the cupboard."

"Thanks," we both replied. When I looked around the living room, I noticed a few things had been moved out of the way, making it a little easier for Edward. Just as I was about to suggest we head to my room, my dad came out of the kitchen.

"Hey, there he is. How's it going, Edward?" He came over and shook Edward's hand before standing next to my mother.

"As good as can be expected I guess."

"Haven't seen you since we finished the house, how's it working out?"

"It's good. The kitchen is much easier now and the bathroom is great."

"Well, if you find anything else you want done, just let me know. Any more ramps or stuff done to the rooms," my dad offered.

"I will, thanks."

"What did you guys do tonight?"

"We went to a party at Newton's," I answered, shifting the duffle bag on my shoulder.

"You're home early, it's barely ten," he said, surprised.

"Yeah, well what can we say, we're wild and crazy kids," I laughed. "We're going to go up to my room, watch a movie or something."

"Have fun," he smiled. "See ya in the morning."

"Night, boys," my mother said, giving Edward another hug before she and my dad both went to the living room. Edward pushed his chair to the bottom of the stairs and looked up them.

"You sure you want to do this?"

"Yep. If it means I get you alone in my room, it's totally worth it."

Bending over, I slipped my arm under his knees and waited while he wrapped his arms around my neck, holding as tight as he could to help me out. Lifting him just like I did when I put him into the truck, I moved the chair back with my foot and then started up the steps. I loved feeling his weight against my body, his heat seeping through our clothes as he rested his head on my shoulder. Reaching the top of the stairs, I turned to the left and entered my room.

"I see not much has changed. Maid's day off?" he asked as we stood in the doorway and looked at the papers all over my desk, clothes thrown everywhere, the dishes on the floor, and books on my bed.

"Cleaning isn't high on my priority list." Leaning over, I set him on the bed and slid the duffle bag onto the floor. "Let me take care of some of this shit."

Moving quickly, I picked up all the clothes and tossed them into my basket, even if they were clean. Then I piled all my papers up on my desk and grabbed my trash and the plates and ran them downstairs. When I came back up, I had sodas and some of the brownies.

"Sustenance," I said, placing them on the table next to my bed.

"You plan on being up there that long?" he smiled.

I sat on the bed next to him, bouncing us a little and then wiggled my eyebrows at him. "Now that I got you here, what do you want to do?"

"Actually, I should probably use the bathroom."

"Oh, right," I said, reaching down for the duffle bag. I pulled a kit out for him and handed it to him. "Do you um…yeah," I stuttered before standing and then scooping him up again and bringing him to the bathroom across the hall. I sat him on the toilet and then went to leave.

"You don't have to go," he said behind me.

Stopping, I turned. "You sure?"

"Not like you haven't seen it before." He undid his pants and pulled his cock out, letting it fall against his zipper. Then he opened the kit and pulled out a pair of rubber gloves and put them on. Next he opened a small square package and pulled out an iodine gauze pad, which he then rubbed on the head of his cock. After, he placed the bag in his lap and snapped part of the tubing and then put the tip of it into the slit on the head of his cock. I actually knew exactly what he was doing. I had watched several videos of it, but seeing him doing it so effortlessly impressed me. These were the new things that were becoming second nature to him now. As he slowly inserted the tube, my first thought was ouch.

"It looks like it hurts," I mumbled, my eyes never leaving his hands.

"I wouldn't know," he answered, pushing in the tube even more before he finally stopped and then waited. A few seconds later urine flowed through the tube and into the bag. "Real sexy, huh?"

"Baby, pissing is never sexy no matter how anyone does it," I grinned, turning around to brush my teeth while he finished up.

"That's true I guess."

I heard him moving around and the toilet flushing. By the time I rinsed my mouth, he'd tossed the stuff in the trash.

"I need to brush my teeth and wash my hands," he said as he did his pants back up. I lifted him and carried him to the counter, sitting him next to the sink. He washed his hands and I handed him his toothbrush when he was done. Back to my room, I handed him the duffle bag so he could get his clothes out and I began to strip out of my own.

"Want to watch a movie or something?" I asked as I kicked off my sneakers and pulled my sweatshirt over my head.

"Sure," he shrugged.

"Or we could just hang out, listen to some music and make out," I suggested. "Whatever you want."

Shaking his head, he chuckled. "I think I know which one you prefer."

"You do know me well." Pulling off my jeans, I hooked my thumbs into my briefs, debating if I should go commando under my pajama bottoms. Ultimately, the less material between us the better and I slipped them off. When I grabbed my Darth Vader pants to put on, I caught Edward watching me, his eyes focused on my swinging cock.

"Need help?" I asked with a slight smirk as I pulled my pants up. He was still sitting on the edge of the bed with his clothes next to him. Not waiting for his answer, I kneeled in front of him and took off his sneakers and socks. Then he lay back and undid his pants for me. I lifted his hips and worked his pants down over his ass before setting him back on the mattress. Once his pants were on the floor, I looked up at him, silently asking him if he would go commando too, but he shook his head.

"Not yet."

Nodding, I leaned forward and kissed his thigh, the one spot below his waist where he could feel my lips. Then I put his legs into his pants and pulled them up. He pushed himself upright and took off his sweatshirt, leaving his Abbey Road shirt on.

"Take it off."

Doing as I asked, he reached for the hem and tugged it over his head, tossing it on the floor with our other clothes. He moved up to the head of the bed, flipping onto his back and placing his legs side by side instead of the contorted position they were in after dragging them. When he looked back up at me, I saw the sadness he was trying so hard to contain. I wondered when he was going to give up trying to hide things from me. Sighing, I put his playlist on the iHome and then straddled him, settling on his thighs. Immediately his hands went to my hips and I placed mine on his chest, tracing light circles and watching his nipples pebble.

"I thought we were going to watch a movie?" he asked, glancing at the television on the dresser behind me.

"Tell me what's wrong first," I said quietly, taking one of his hands that rested on my hip. Instantly, he was shaking his head and clenching his eyes.

"Nothing's wrong," he lied.

"Babe," I exhaled, "you promised to not shut me out. Tell me."

Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and gazed up at me. There was no more hiding what he felt; it was all there in his shades of green. "Remember I said I didn't want to be a burden on anyone? Turns out that's exactly what I am. One fucking huge burden. I was so fucking selfish for even thinking I could play basketball." He shook his head. "I was too busy worrying about me that I forgot about them."

"Them?"

"My parents."

Reaching up, I pushed his hair off his forehead, running my hands through the short strands a few times. "First, wanting to do something you love isn't selfish. I don't know why you would say that. Second, you're not a burden to anyone."

"You don't understand," he said, frustrated that I wasn't reading between his cryptic lines.

"Then explain." I sat on his thighs patiently waiting for him to start as he internally debated with himself. "We've got all night," I reminded him, and I was going to wait as long as I had to.

Resigned to my stubbornness, he began, his voice hushed, "Sam talked to me after basketball practice. Said he would email me some forms I needed to fill out, like permission papers and the schedule. He also said that I needed a new chair."

"New chair? What's wrong with yours?"

"You didn't notice the different chairs they used?"

"Um, I was busy looking at something else," I admitted coyly.

"They use chairs that are specifically designed for basketball with stabilization wheels so they don't tip over and a fender for bumping. They are much lighter too. Thing is these chairs cost around two thousand dollars."

"Holy shit, you serious?"

"Yeah, and I can't play without one."

"That's expensive, but I'm sure your parents will buy it for you." That was when the tear escaped from the corner of his eye.

"See, that's just the problem," he said with a shaky voice. "I know they would if I asked, because they would do anything for me, but I don't want to ask. Even before the accident I never wanted to be a burden. That's why I worked so many hours, because I knew they were trying to save for college for me and Alice and…" he trailed off, his emotions becoming too much.

"Breath, baby," I soothed, brushing his damp cheek with my hand. "Whatever it is, it's okay."

"No, it's not. I'm seventeen and my future is fucked. I'm stuck in a chair, probably living with my parents for the rest of my life."

"Why would you say that? We're going to go to college and get an apartment together, remember?"

"Jasper, don't you get it?" he growled, his fingers digging into my thighs with his frustration. "I'm not going to college."

Shocked, I stopped stroking his cheek and stared at him. "Why not?"

I was confused because while I was still waiting to hear from the colleges I'd applied to, Edward had already been accepted.

"C'mon, Jasper. You know they are going to revoke my scholarship if they haven't already."

"Okay, say they do, that doesn't mean they revoke your acceptance. You can still go there. You just have to –"

"Pay. Which is exactly the problem," he sighed.

"Just tell me, Edward," I requested softly.

Biting his lip, he stared at me for a minute. "When I got home from school today I checked my email and the forms from Sam where there. I filled them out but I needed my dad's signature. My dad hasn't told my mom about basketball yet so I went to leave the papers on his desk where she wouldn't see them and I found something."

I was almost too afraid to ask. "What did you find?"

"Bills. Lots and lots of bills."

"For you…"

"Yep," he confirmed. "All for me."

"How much?"

"The lowest was from your dad for a few thousand, the most was the hospital in Seattle for about seventy thousand," he murmured. "There were some from a medical supply company, Emmett, Forks General, some other doctors I didn't know."

"Fuck," I sighed. "But won't your dad's insurance pay for them?"

"Probably, but I don't know if they would pay for all. Even if they did, there's still the stuff they won't cover, like the stuff we did to the house. I can't go to my parents and ask for two thousand for the chair plus the money for fees and stuff for basketball when they've got those bills to pay. I…just can't." The tears began to flow more freely, no matter how much I wiped his cheeks, they reappeared. Leaning forward, I put my forehead to his.

"Sssh, babe, it's okay."

"I want to believe that, Jasper. Sometimes I want to believe it so much, I actually feel it and it does seem okay, but then shit like this happens and no matter how much I believe it's okay, it doesn't seem like it ever will be."

"It will."

"But how?" he sniffled. "How can you be so fucking sure?"

"Because I refuse to believe otherwise. We will get through this, you will get your chair and you will play basketball." I waited until his gasps slowed, inhaling what breath he released into me and giving it back to him, stronger than before. "You want to play, right?"

"Yes," he sighed.

"Then you will. I will make sure you do. I won't let money stop you. We will figure something out. I promise, baby," I vowed. "Besides, I need to watch you play basketball as much as you need to play it."

He smiled and took a deep breath. I pressed my lips to his, taking away the rest of his worry along with the salty tears I tasted. Gradually, he calmed and responded to my kiss, his fingers moving gently over my thighs.

"I've got some money saved from helping my dad. It's not much but you can have it," I offered when I broke the kiss. His hand skimmed up my back and into my hair where he fingered the ends of the curls.

"I can't take your money, love."

"You're not taking it, I'm giving it to you," I corrected him. "Besides, I've got nothing to use it for."

"College?"

"Trust me, it's not enough to make a dent in a tuition."

"I've got some saved up too."

"But you're saving for us to have an apartment," I reminded him. "You can't use that. Even with my money, we still need about fourteen hundred. Maybe I can get an advance from my dad."

"Love…you…"

"Don't bother to say it, Edward. You know I won't listen anyway, it would just be a waste of energy."

He actually laughed, his body shaking under me and it was glorious. Grinning down at him, I tilted my head and gazed at my beautiful boy. How was it physically possible to be so consumed by someone that every time you saw them, they got more perfect?

"I love you," he breathed.

"I love you too," I smiled. "Now tell me about the team. Are they nice?" My distraction tactics were well used, he knew what I was going before I had even finished the question, but he let me get away with it, rolling his eyes just enough to let me know he was on to me.

"They seemed nice. Leah, the girl, can actually walk with braces on, and Brady, the one with glasses, has spina bifida."

"What's that?"

"Not really sure but I know it's a birth defect that affects your spinal cord."

"So he's always been in a chair?"

"Maybe. The rest are paralyzed. The kid with red hair is Collin, and there's Jared and Paul and Quinn or Quinton, something like that. They were the three dark haired kids that kind of looked alike. Jared has the highest injury, a T-2 incomplete."

"That's pretty high."

"Yeah, I guess his hand function isn't very good but he can shoot okay."

"And the big kid?"

"Riley. He's the captain, been playing a few years I think. He's a T-7 complete. Apparently, he was a really good mountain biker, like on his way to the pros and then had his accident. He was in a race and fell down the mountain, hit a rock."

"He's just like you."

"Hardly," Edward scoffed.

"He's about your age, excelled at his sport, had a future in it and now he's in a chair. Sounds a like you."

"Jasper, I know you were, um, preoccupied while you were there, but did you see him? I'm nothing like him. The way he handles himself and the chair is amazing. And if you had talked to him, you'd know he's nothing like me." There was a longing in his voice, even more than an admiration for the other boy. "He's just so…"

"What?"

"I don't know. Confident? Comfortable? There's just something about him. Trust me, he's nothing like me."

"Babe, he's been in the chair longer. He's been able to adjust mentally and physically. Hell, your body is still healing."

"I won't ever be like he is though."

"Mmmm, you're as buff as he is."

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't notice?"

I shrugged. "I might only have eyes for one boy, but I'm not blind."

Smiling, he tugged on my hair, coaxing me down to him. By the time our lips met, his were already parted. We moaned in unison when I swept my tongue through his mouth, tasting him before swirling with his. I made out with my boy until we were both panting and I was hard, my hips gliding along his thighs, only pausing when we heard footsteps outside my closed door. I watched the door carefully, readying to spring off Edward if I had to, though I wasn't sure how I would explain the erection tenting my pants. While I stared at the door, Edward moved his hand to my cock, palming it lightly. With only the thin flannel separating us, I felt the heat of his skin and bucked into it. He ran his thumb over the wet spot at the head of cock and moaned.

"You're so hard," he murmured. Swallowing, I tried to focus on listening for footsteps, but it was pretty fucking hard to concentrate with Edward touching me.

When I felt it was safe, I looked back at Edward, who was smirking up at me. "What are you doing to me?"

"Driving you insane with lust?"

"Definitely." Tucking my lower lip between my teeth, I debated on going further. Unlike Edward's house, my parents' bedroom was only across the hall. While my mother always knocked, she didn't always wait for a reply before coming in, and with Edward there, I could see her wanting to check on him before bed.

"You know you want to," he encouraged.

"Fuck yeah, but I'm worried my mom might come in."

"Then come fast," he said, pressing harder on my cock.

"Coming fast won't be a problem," I chuckled.

He licked his lips. "Then what are you waiting for? Jerk off for me."

"Fuck, Edward. Jesus, when you say shit like that…" I gasped, my cock twitching in my pants.

"C'mon, show me how hard you are."

"Fuck it," I moaned. Lifting my ass up, I yanked my pants down over my cock, freeing it and groaning at the rush of cool air that washed over it. I didn't care if we did get caught, it would be worth it.

"Mmm yeah, fucking hot cock," he mumbled hungrily.

"I'm only gonna last about a minute with you talking like that." I wrapped my fingers around my length.

"The sooner I can taste your load," he whispered, his eyes having dropped from mine to my cock in my fist. "Stroke fast."

My chin dropped to my chest as I watched my hand furiously pumping my cock. It throbbed in my fist, the warmth already gathering in my groin. There was no doubt I was going to come embarrassingly fast, but I really didn't give a fuck, especially when Edward looked up at me with rapture through his lashes.

"I love watching you like this."

"Yeah?" I panted, flicking my wrist on an upstroke. I used my other hand to cup my balls, pulling them down to hopefully delay my orgasm and display them for Edward, earning a throaty growl from him. "What do you like watching, baby? What turns you on?"

"You. Everything about you," he whispered, his eyes undecided between looking at my face or my cock. "The way your abs flex, the way you lick your lips right before you come, your hair in your face, the scent of your cock and balls. The way only I know how they taste."

Every fucking word he said, even the timbre of his voice, so honest and needy, went straight to my dick. My entire body felt heated from the inside out, my skin was flushed, and my breaths were shallow and quick, almost matching the frantic pace of my hand. Edward's hands remained on my hips, his fingers digging into my flesh with each stroke.

"Gonna come for me?"

"Yeah," I gasped. "Gonna come hard for you."

"Mmmm, show me, love. Give me your load. Pretend you're fucking my mouth, feel me swallowing tight around you."

"Jesus," I hissed through clenched teeth, trying to stay quiet. Edward knew I was loud, and he was teasing me with the fucking dirty talk, but damn, it was driving me wild. I didn't know what brought it on, but I fucking loved it.

"Come on my face," he demanded, looking up at me with darkened eyes, behind them a craving that rivaled any I'd seen in him ever before.

I was done.

The warmth boiled out from my belly, spreading low before igniting and caressing every cell in me. Shifting to my knees, my hips bucked forward, my hand gripped my balls tightly as they drew up and released. My cock pulsed and then cum shot from it, landing on Edward's face in thin stripes. His cheek and lips were covered in me, his tongue working quickly to lap my release from his lips. I fell forward, slamming a hand against the wall above my bed to avoid collapsing onto him. My cock was still in my tight grip as I stroked through my climax, my hips jerking forward with each crest that hit me. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to regain some control and stop myself from screaming in pleasure.

My mother would surely come knocking on my door then.

Sitting back on Edward's hips, I gasped for breath, but made no attempt to slow my racing heart. I loved how the pounding in my chest made me feel alive, reminding me that the boy beneath me was the reason it beat in the first place.

"So hot," he murmured.

"Babe," I said, shaking my head.

Moving my hips down his body, I released my cock and put my hands next to Edward's head before leaning toward him, my tongue licking along the milky streaks on his skin, lapping him clean. Then I dropped onto him, letting him feel my weight, my chest pressed to his as I kissed him, my hands fisting his hair while his rested on my ass. With my sated body and Edward's mouth on mine, there was no worry about my mother catching us, because I was too fucking high to care if she did. I pulled away from Edward and climbed off the bed to grab one of the towels I had thrown in the basket earlier. I cleaned off his face and then my cock before pulling my pants up, tossing the towel down and crawling back into bed. Curling up next to him, I kissed along his jaw, rubbing the scruff there with my own until my lips were at his ear.

"I love you," I whispered, smiling when his body trembled at my words.

Turning his head, he captured my lips roughly with his, smashing our mouths together, clicking our teeth and banging our noses. While I had him distracted, I moved my hand down his chest, over the hard muscles of his abs until it was resting on his cock. It had barely taken the movement of my ass before I had felt his erection growing beneath me. Habitually, my hand began to stroke his length through the material. Ripping my mouth from his, I nibbled along his neck, feeling the vibration of a moan in his throat. I returned my lips to his ear, sucking on the lobe and smiling when a violent shudder traveled through his upper body, he was practically writhing just from my tongue tracing the shell of his ear. When I added running my fingers through his hair, he just about jumped out of his skin.

"Feels so good," he groaned quietly.

I moved back down his neck along his collarbone toward his shoulder where I bit him, then quickly laved it with my tongue. By the time I got to his nipple, his upper back was arching off the bed and his hand was tangled in my hair, fusing my mouth to him. I sucked hard, taking the bud between my lips and teeth, nipping gently. The entire time, my hand kept stroking him, and in the back of my mind I kept waiting for his hips to thrust up, to seek more friction, but they never did.

They remained completely still.

With his eyes closed he didn't notice my hand sneak inside the hole of his pajamas; he didn't notice my hand was on his cock with only his briefs separating us. I wanted more, I wanted to feel his heated skin in my hand. Leaving his nipple, I moved back up his chest, finally arriving at his ear again.

"Can I touch you, baby?" I murmured. "Please."

He stilled, his brows furrowing. "I don't…"

"You're hard."

Gulping, he looked down his body and saw my hand disappearing under R2-D2. "I am?"

"Mmm, very. Feels so good. Please, baby. I need to feel you. I'll stop whenever you want me to," I promised in his ear.

Tentatively, he nodded, watching my hand as I pulled it out and then moved to the elastic waistband. I snuck my hand under it, then under his briefs until I was running my fingers through the dusting of hair there. Swiftly, I lifted my hand and slid the front of his pants and underwear over his erection. Laying my head on his chest, I looked at the sight with him as my fingers finally wrapped completely around his velvet cock.

"Fuck," he sighed as my hand pumped him once. Bringing my eyes back to his, I watched him watch my hand.

"Remember how it felt, baby?"

"Yeah," he nodded, closing his eyes to imagine a different time. One where he felt bolts of electricity up his spine, felt his cock twitch in my hand, or the way his skin tugged on each stroke.

I returned my mouth to his ear, my other hand still buried in his thick hair, tugging and fisting before carding through it. The quivering of his body picked up in strength with each movement of my tongue near his ear, with each breath I breathed near him.

"You're beautiful like this, all fucking needy, so fucking hot. Watching you makes me hard."

"More," he squirmed, tilting his head.

"Your cock is hard in my hand, pulsing. You smell so fucking good."

"More," he moaned.

"Someday, I'm going to taste you again. I'm going to suck you off while you watch."

"Fuck yeah…"

I kept working him and he remained hard the entire time. When I swiped my thumb over the slit, I felt the beads of fluid and gathered them. Releasing his cock, I brought my thumb to his lips and traced the seam with it, leaving a slick trail behind. "That's your cum."

He opened his eyes wide and looked down at his cock hovering just above his abs. Gripping him again, I stroked him hard and fast while he watched, and alternated my lips between his neck and his ear. He fisted the blanket with one hand while his other was still in my hair. His upper body was shaking, like he was trembling from the cold, only he was far from cold. I groaned against him, my own hips beginning to rut into his side. Taking the tender skin of his neck between my teeth, I sucked hard, knowing it was going to leave a mark but not really giving a damn. At the same time, I tugged on his hair and he cried out. I felt the veins in his cock pulse a few times but it never emptied. It was like it tried to but couldn't. However, his upper body seemed to be on the high of an orgasm, shuddering and flexing in waves, his eyes clenched as he grunted with the effort. Staggered breaths escaped him as he finally settled back onto the mattress. I slowed my strokes but never stopped as I lifted my head from the crook of his neck.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Did you…"

"I don't know. It was like…weird. I mean, at first, it just felt really good. Everything was really sensitive, but then when I saw you touching me, even though I couldn't feel it, the other stuff you were doing got even more intense. Then I closed my eyes I imagined you touching me like that before and what it felt like and how it felt to come. There was like this weird tickling in the back of my neck and it spread down my spine instead of up like before."

"Did it feel good?"

He turned his head to me, a sexy smirk on his lips and a faint blush to his cheeks. "Yeah, it felt really fucking good."

Leaning forward, I kissed him. "Jake said the brain is the largest sex organ, maybe when you saw me touching you, it triggered a memory and you kinda felt it again."

"I wish I could really feel it," he sighed.

"I know, babe, me too." I kissed him again. "Thank you for letting me touch you."

"Welcome," he smiled lazily. "You can stop anytime ya know."

"Do I have to?" My hand was still languidly working him.

"Probably not a good idea to fall asleep with my cock in your hand," he advised wisely.

"Probably right." Regretfully, I released him and then covered him back up. He caught me warily eyeing his neck and he raised a brow.

"So help me, if you have me a hickey," he warned, already knowing I had.

"It's low and really tiny," I blushed. "Your shirt will cover it up."

I hoped.

"Jas," he sighed.

"What? I couldn't help it. I got carried away. Movie time?"

"Sure," he agreed. I reached over him to the table and grabbed my remote, turning on the television and hitting play.

"I don't know what's in there, it'll be a surprise."

"Doubtful," he joked, then rolled his eyes when the music started. "How did I know…"

"Shut the fuck up."

"It probably never leaves the player."

"Not true. I take it out to put the other ones in." Tossing the remote on the bed, I laid my head his chest. "Are you going to talk to your dad about the bills?" I asked him quietly.

"You think I should?"

"Yeah, I think you should tell him you know about them."

"Think he'll be mad?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, but I don't think so. The bills are about you, it's not unreasonable for you to want to know."

"Will you tell him with me?"

I lifted my head to look at him. I was uncomfortable with the idea of intruding on something personal to the family, but I saw the desperate and scared look in Edward's eyes and knew that no matter how uncomfortable I might feel, I would do it for him.

"Sure. Maybe I can come over for dinner tomorrow night and we can tell him then?"

He bit his bottom lip, the sharp edges of his teeth piercing the soft, pink flesh as he considered the suggestion. Finally, he nodded. "Thanks, love."

I leaned forward and kissed him. "Always, baby."

When my eyes closed, I heard his heart beating in my ear and felt his arm possessively around my back. I was where I never wanted to leave.

The next morning, Edward was awake before me, nudging me with his nose until I opened my eyes. If my parents walked in on us, it wouldn't be the fact that we were in bed together that would have caused them to wonder. My bed was big enough for us to spread out and still not touch. It would have been the way my body was entwined with his, my face buried in his neck, my arm across his middle and my leg slung over his, that would have shocked them. We had fallen asleep watching the movie and hadn't even pulled the blanket up over us.

"I need to do my routine," he mumbled sleepily and I nodded, but never moved. Instead I burrowed myself deeper against him, relishing in his warm, solid body. Just as I was about to fall back to sleep, he ran his hand up my back. "Jas?"

Sighing, I lifted my head and kissed his cheek before climbing off the bed. I stood next to him and stretched, unable to contain a yawn, before I crouched down next to the bag and pulled out a kit for him. He took it from me as I slipped my arms under his knees and the middle of his back and then lifted him with a grunt.

"Jesus, what'd you eat last night?" I teased.

Smiling, he reached over and opened my door and I carried him across the hall into the bathroom. After putting him on the toilet, I left, closing the door behind me and then heading downstairs to use the guest bathroom before getting dressed. Edward called out when he was done about forty minutes later and I went and lifted him to the counter and we brushed our teeth. When he looked in the mirror and saw the small red mark on the bend of his neck, he raised an eyebrow at me. Blushing, I shrugged.

"It's really small," I commented.

Back in my room, Edward changed back into the clothes he'd worn to the party and I packed the bag. Putting it on my shoulder, I picked him again and carried him down the stairs to his chair.

He almost seemed relieved when I sat him in it.

I knew he didn't mind me carrying him, neither of us did, but it take away what independence he had. No one wanted to rely on someone getting them to the bathroom or out of bed.

"Breakfast?" I suggested, heading for the kitchen. It wasn't as wheelchair friendly as his, but he could move around it pretty well. "Eggs? Bacon? Pancakes?"

"You're going to cook pancakes regardless of my answer, so why do you even ask?" he said behind me.

Shrugging, I opened the refrigerator. "My mamma raised a polite southern boy," I mocked with my drawl as I opened the cupboard for the pancake batter and bowl. Edward watched as I blended the water and mix. Turning on the stove, I placed a griddle on it. "Bacon?"

"Definitely," he answered, going to get it. I watched him pull it out and then go to the counter and open it. He reached down where we kept the pans and opened the drawer, banging it into his chair a few times before getting it open enough to pull out a frying pan. After he put it on the stove, I turned the burner on for him and he started putting the bacon in.

"We make a good team, Cullen."

"Yeah, not bad. We're best in bed though," he whispered, then said, "Fucking adorable," when I blushed had to turn away from him.

Edward shook his head when I poured the batter onto the griddle and then pressed the Star Wars molds onto it. The molds were for special occasions only, and having Edward in my kitchen again was definitely a special occasion.

"Don't judge me," I told him without looking at him.

While I flipped the pancakes, Edward finished the bacon and then put it our plates. I tossed a few pancakes on each one and put the leftovers into the microwave. Edward moved to a spot at the table where there was no chair and I sat across from him. We were making our plans for the talk with his dad when my own walked into the kitchen.

"Something smells good. Oh, we haven't had these in ages," he exclaimed as he opened the door of the microwave to see the plate of Yoda and Darth Vader shaped pancakes. He joined us at the table a minute later, thoughtfully asking Edward questions about the house, what was working out best, what he didn't like.

"Well, like I said last night, if you think of anything else you need, just let me know. I'm sure the guys would be more than willing to help out."

"Thanks," Edward replied.

When we were done, we said goodbye to my dad, grabbed the bag and headed out. Edward went down the wooden ramp, smiling as he kept rolling into my yard afterwards.

"Guess I made it too steep, huh?"

"Nah, that was fun," he chuckled as he went toward the truck.

At his house, I helped him into the chair and then leaned against the truck. "What time later?"

"I don't know. I'll find out when dinner is and call you."

"Okay, I'm going to swing by Newton's for a few shirts for track, then I told my dad I'd help him for a few hours. I should be home by early afternoon though." He nodded and looked up at me, squinting out the sun. "I really want to kiss you right now." I gazed at him. "Just saying."

"I really want to suck your cock right now," he murmured lowly.

If it was possible to get hard in one second, I did. "Jesus, Edward. You like to torture me, don't you?"

"More like give you something to think about while you're working with your dad."

"Yeah, working with power tools and a hard on is a great idea. I hope I don't cut anything off." I leaned over, my mouth near his ear. "Because I'm going to take you up on that offer later."

Winking he spun his chair around.

"Be safe, baby."

"See ya soon, love," he called out over his shoulder. I watched him until he was inside, then I got in the truck and backed out.

Newton's was busier than usual, and I spent a few minutes trying to decide between the short or long-sleeved Under Armour. They were expensive, and before Edward had told me about the chair, I might have bought two, but decided that I could do with just one. Thinking the warm weather was coming soon, I chose the black short-sleeved one and picked up a few pairs of socks before going to the counter. Mike was there unpacking a box and he nodded at me when I approached.

"What's up, Whitlock?"

"Not much, just need a shirt for track," I said, putting the shirt and socks on the counter.

"Have fun last night?"

"Fucking blast. I wanted to spend my Friday night fending off Jessica," I answered sarcastically.

Shrugging, he took the shirt off the hanger and reached for the tag. "I don't know why you just don't give in. She's not looking for a relationship, just sex," he answered casually. I glanced around to see if anyone could hear him before narrowing my eyes at him. "Besides, she's got great tits."

"Not reason enough," I sighed. "Bella know you talk about other girls like that?"

"Course not."

"Have you guys gone out yet?"

"Yeah, twice. Well, and the party. Haven't even gotten past first base yet."

"Good," I answered a little too quickly. He finished scanning the clothes.

"Thirty-one dollars and ten cents." I handed him the money and he opened the register, giving me the cash back. "Any plans today?"

"Just helping my dad."

"Hanging with Edward later?"

"Maybe. Why?"

"We're all heading the movies if you guys want to go. Seven o'clock show."

"Thanks, I'll let ya know." When I went to grab my bag a pile of brightly color flyers sitting on the counter caught my attention. "Mind if I take one?" I asked, glancing up at him.

"Go ahead."

I turned and left with the flyer in my hand and a smile on my face.

I knew how I was going to get the money for Edward.

"**~~**"

"Sorry I'm late," I apologized as Edward opened the door and let me in. "Work ran late." I could have left work earlier, but I wanted to try to get in as many hours as I could. The more money, the better.

"No problem, we just sat down," he said as he closed the door behind me.

"You okay?" I asked when I looked down and saw the apprehension on his face.

"Yeah, just a little nervous."

"Don't worry," I mouthed.

"Hey, Jasper," Dr. Cullen greeted as I entered the living room. They had moved the dining room table into there, setting it up in a corner. "Just in time, have a seat."

Covering the table was their dinner; a pan of meatloaf, bowl of mashed potatoes, peas and rolls.

Mrs. Cullen smiled at me. "What can I get you to drink?"

"Milk, please." I sat down in my usual chair across from Edward. There was already a plate in front of me with everything on it but peas. They knew I hated peas. Mrs. Cullen returned with my drink and sat down. "Where's Alice?"

"Sleeping over a friend's house," Edward answered quietly. Normally, I would have tapped his foot under the table to communicate with him or offer support, but that wasn't going to work now. I took a bite of meatloaf and moaned.

"This is really good, Mrs. Cullen." Sucking up to the boyfriend's parents was never a bad thing.

"So, Jasper, I was reading the Peninsula Daily News the other day and saw an interesting letter to the editor," Dr. Cullen stated.

"Oh?" I squeaked. When I had written the editorial, I had never thought his parents, or anyone else I knew, might see it.

"Seems someone was upset over some handicapped discrimination at Ronaldo's. Made some very valid points about the ADA and businesses not adhering to them under the guise of not having to because they are small," Dr. Cullen explained and his wife nodded in agreement. Edward stared at me, his mouth hanging open a little.

"It was very well written," Mrs. Cullen added.

"Than-I mean, that's good. It should be brought to everyone's attention," I flubbed. Sighing, I thought for a second then decided to just tell them. It wasn't like they hadn't seen my name at the bottom of the letter already. "I had one version that was 'angry' according to my mom. She said I needed to tone it down and back up my statement with facts."

"Well, you did exceptional. Had passion and facts," his father complimented. The conversation turned to school and Dr. Cullen asked me a few things about track and I answered them while Edward chewed his lip instead of his food.

"Everything okay, Edward?" Dr. Cullen asked as he cut his meatloaf. Edward glanced at me and I nodded, giving him a small smile of encouragement.

"Not really," he finally answered.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling okay? Are you hurt?" his mother asked, immediately concerned.

"No, nothing like that. But I need to talk to you guys about something."

"Anything," his father replied.

Another glance at me and a deep breath and he began. "The other day I was putting something on your desk and I saw some bills. Bills for me. Big ones."

Dr. Cullen sighed and looked down while Mrs. Cullen looked at him.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"We were trying to protect you," his father answered honestly.

"It's a little late for that, isn't it?" Edward snapped. His mother shot him a warning glance but said nothing. "How much are they?" When his father hesitated, Edward sighed. "I deserve to know. They are my bills."

"But they are our responsibility, Edward, not yours," his father said quietly.

"But they're because of me. You wouldn't have them if I hadn't been in the accident," Edward reminded him.

"We didn't want you to worry," his mother spoke up. "You had enough going on."

"How much?" Edward repeated. Dinner had all but been forgotten except for me. I kept shoveling it in, trying to pretend I wasn't there.

After a glance at his wife and then a clearing of his throat, Dr. Cullen began. "Medical expenses will be around two hundred thousand, and we saved money by having you do your rehab at home. It would have been much higher if we didn't."

"Holy shit," I muttered, immediately apologizing. "Sorry."

"No, that's a pretty accurate response," his father sighed.

"What about insurance? Will they pay it all?" Edward asked.

"Not all, no. Insurance will only cover certain aspects."

"How much will cover?"

"About eighty percent," Dr. Cullen answered honestly. Math wasn't my strong point, but even I knew that was still a shitload of money they were going to have to pay.

"Forty thousand dollars…" Edward mumbled, figuring the amount much faster than me. "And that's only the medical bills."

"Edward," his mother said quietly. "We don't want you to worry. This is something your father and I can handle."

"How? We don't have forty thousand dollars lying around," Edward argued. "What about the guy's insurance? Won't they pay it?"

"He had the minimum coverage. We might get about twenty-five thousand from them. It will make a good dent but it won't cover everything," his father explained.

"Isn't there something we can do? Can't we sue him?" Edward grasped at hope. His fear of being a burden was becoming a harsh reality.

Dr. Cullen took a sip of his wine and thought for a minute. "Your mother and I have already spoken to a lawyer about a lawsuit but it doesn't look promising."

"Why not?" Edward choked out. Each solution he had was quickly being shot down.

"From what the lawyer has found out so far, it doesn't look like James has any assets. No house, no money in the stock market or savings. He's in debt himself. And a lawsuit could also take years to settle. Add to the fact that he will probably be in jail."

"Good," I blurted out.

"Jail?" Edward mumbled.

"He broke the law Edward. If he hadn't hurt anyone, he would have lost his license for a few months but when you injury someone, it's mandatory jail time."

"What about college?" Edward asked, his voice growing quieter with each question he didn't really want to know the answer to. When his father glanced at his wife, something passing between them, Edward already knew. "They revoked the scholarship, didn't they?"

He father never directly answered him.

There was a long silence as Edward tried to absorb the grim news. The guilt built in his eyes, clouding them with the sadness from the day before. I couldn't let him do it, I couldn't let him pull away again, but before I could say something, he spoke again.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, his eyes focused on his plate. I fought the urge to push my chair back and go to him. Even if he couldn't feel it, I rested my foot against his.

"Edward, this isn't your fault," his father spoke quietly. "Your mother and I will take care of this. You need to live your life and not worry."

"How?" Edward asked, his voice quivering. "I can't live my life. I can't go to college, I can't play basketball because I need a new chair."

"You've still welcomed to attend there, we just need to pay for it now. You're mother has already filed for financial aid, and I'm sure we'll get some. Plus we've got some put away for your college expenses."

"That's for Alice too. I can't take it all."

"It will be fine, Edward," his father tried to reassure him.

"What is this about basketball?" his mother asked, putting her glass down and changing the subject.

Once he realized his slip, his eyes closed and I saw his lips moving as he swore to himself.

He sighed. "Jasper found a league for Edward to play wheelchair basketball in. They went and talked to the coach and Edward wants to play."

I wanted to crawl under the table when Mrs. Cullen's eyes darted to me as the guilty culprit for finding the team for Edward.

"And you're okay with this?" she asked her husband.

"I am. It would be good for him physically as well as mentally. It's something he loves and he should play."

"But is it safe?" she asked worriedly.

"They take precautions," he told her. It was a battle he had already won. Mrs. Cullen might be concerned about Edward's safety, but she trusted her husband, she wouldn't question his judgment. "Tell me about the chair, Edward?"

When Edward hesitated, I spoke for him, for us. "Sam…he's the coach. He said that the chair Edward needs is about two thousand dollars. Plus there are some other fees and stuff he needs to pay. But I think I found a way to pay for it." My attention left them and went to Edward. He slowly raised his eyes to meet mine, and I smiled. Both his parents looked at me with curiosity and I continued. "I'm going to raise the money."

"How?" Edward asked weakly before his parents could.

"A race." Leaning back, I reached into my front pocket and pulled out the folded up flyer from Newton's. Unfolding it, I laid it on the table. "I'm going to get donations from people and stuff," I finished proudly, almost beaming at my ingenuity.

"You would do that for me?" Edward swallowed.

"Of course," I smiled.

"Jasper," his father smiled. "I think that's a great idea. I'm sure with my and your mother's connections at the hospital we could get you some decent donations, maybe the hospital could even sponsor you, or match your donations. It would be great for the community to get together and support one of their own," he spurted, listing the possibilities as they raced through is head.

"There's only one problem," I sighed. "The race isn't until the middle of June, which is good because it gives me time to train, but Edward is going to need the chair within a week, but I think if I asked my da-"

Dr. Cullen put his hand up and stopped me. "Esme and I will pay for Edward's chair. If you raise the money, then we can put it toward the expense."

"I've got six hundred I can give you," I offered and Edward's eyes widened.

"Jasper, you don't need to do that," Esme said.

"I want to. I want to help," I countered. Dr. Cullen gave Esme a look, similar to some that Edward and I shared sometimes, the one where you want to communicate with your other half in front of others but couldn't say the words. Esme got the hint and nodded.

"Jasper, you just offered to run a race to raise some money, I think that qualifies as helping," Dr. Cullen said warmly.

"I want to help too," Edwards spoke up. "I've got the money I've saved and I'm going to get my job back."

"Edward, I'm not sure that's a good idea," his father replied. "You've got school and now basketball, plus PT. These things all take a toll on your body. Working would be too difficult."

"So I will only work a few hours a week, just something to help," he said quietly. I moved my foot against his soothingly.

"We'll talk about it." Reaching forward, Dr. Cullen picked up the flyer and looked it over. "A half marathon?" he asked.

"Yep," I answered confidently.

"Thirteen miles?" Edward looked at me and I nodded. While distance was my thing, I'd never run that far before. The most I'd done was around seven.

"I've got time to train," I reminded him. "I already practice every day, I just need to up the distance. This week I'm going to hit a few places and see if I can get some donations. I want to raise as much as I can to help out with bills and maybe car."

"A car?" Edward raised a brow.

"Well, a van," I shrugged. "They cost about thirty thousand used."

"Someone's done their homework," Dr. Cullen chuckled.

"You think you can raise thirty thousand dollars?" Edward asked, shocked.

"I'm going to really fuc-try," I glanced at Mrs. Cullen apologetically.

"I think he can do it," Dr. Cullen nodded and then raised his half empty wine glass. "A toast to Jasper's race and Edward's basketball."

I lifted my milk, Esme her wine, and Edward his soda. The glasses clinked in the middle and my eyes fell on my boy, never leaving him as I took a gulp. Smiling, I licked the milk moustache from my lip.

"Speaking of basketball, tell me more about the team Edward?" his father asked, starting to eat again. Instantly, Edward's eyes brightened.

"Sam is the coach, the captain is a kid named Riley, he's a great post. Then there is Leah, Jared, Quill or Quinn, Paul, Collin and Brady. Leah can walk with braces and Jared has spina bifida, but the others are all SCIs. Brady can't dribble, but he can shoot okay. Leah is really tall with long arms and seems pretty good at blocking. The rest are pretty good and really friendly, but the best is definitely Riley. He was amazing in the chair, the way he moved it around and stuff." Edward's voice grew more excited the more he talked. "Practices are Tuesdays and Thursdays and games are on the weekends. They play in Port Angeles and Seattle, but they also travel out of state to some other teams."

Emse listened intently, trying not to let her worry for her son grow.

"I know Dr. Cullen doesn't get home until late sometimes and Mrs. C has to drive Alice around, so I can bring Edward to his practices. Well, most of them anyway," I suggested before they said no to him.

"In Port Angeles?" his mother asked. "That's an hour each way."

Edward would never be able to get into a car again that they didn't worry that he might not return. It was a reasonable fear. They were barely used to me driving him around town, much less an hour on the highway. But regardless of their fear, I think Dr. Cullen knew the benefits of Edward playing far outweighed their worry, and that while it would never get any easier for them, it was something they were going to have to deal with.

"What about track?" Edward asked.

"It's over about five, if I come right here after, we can make it in time."

"What about homework?" Dr. Cullen asked the typical parent question.

"I'll have it with me, I can do it while he practices," I said, knowing there was no way I would crack open a book if Edward was playing. My eyes would be on my boy.

"What time would you be home?" Mrs. Cullen asked.

"Around nine I think," Edward answered. "I can get my homework done before I go."

"Sounds like you two have it all figured out," Dr. Cullen smiled and finished off his wine. "I think you should do it, Edward, but need to listen to your body, if anything feels off, stop and tell your coach. And you must keep up with your school work," he paused and looked at me. "You too, Jasper."

"I promise," Edward grinned.

Esme sighed, resigned to the worry she was going to have, but she smiled too. "We're very proud of you."

Me too.

"Thanks, Mom."

"So how do we get this chair for you?" his father asked.

"Well, the place is in Seattle, we can order it and then go pick it up," Edward said, a hint of excitement creeping into his voice. "Sam emailed me a link to their website. He said they give discounts for his team."

I finished off my milk, setting the glass down and watching Edward as he continued to tell them about practice and how hard dribbling was, how the team can improve, and about their plays.

I smiled at the boy across from me, who for the first time in a long time, was proud about something.

After dinner Edward and I were in his room. His arms were around me as I sat sideways on his lap, my legs hanging over the armrest while his nose nudged along my jaw.

"You smell so good," he murmured. Moaning, I tilted my head back for him, giving him more room to explore. "I can't believe you are going to run thirteen miles for me." He stopped kissing my neck and lifted his head. I laid mine on his shoulder and sighed, brushing my fingers down his cheek and tracing his lips.

"Babe, I'd run so much farther than thirteen miles for you."

"You would?"

"Definitely. I'm going to need your help though."

"Doing what?"

"I want you to help me train. The running part I've got but I'd like to build up some muscle on my legs. Think you can help with me that?"

He smiled, his eyes telling me he was onto me already. I really needed to get more creative. If I had an excuse to work out with a sweaty Edward, I was going to take full advantage of it.

"Yeah, we can use my stuff in the dining room. It's mostly for upper body though. But I can ask Emmett for ideas if you want."

"That'd be great. I know of some, but any advice he has would be cool."

"I need you to do something for me too," he said, glancing over his shoulder at his door.

"What?"

"I want you to bring me to work tomorrow. I want to talk to my boss and see if I can get my job back," he said quietly, but firmly.

"But your dad-"

"Yeah, I know. But, Jas, I can't sit around…literally, and do nothing while you all get money. It's not right," he reasoned. "Did you really write a letter to the editor?"

"Yep. I even went back to the restaurant the next day with the ADA. Handed to the manager the next day."

"I can't believe you did that."

I shrugged. "They pissed me off." I paused, watching his eyes flicker, the storm was still there, weaker than before but definitely still there. "You okay about the scholarship?"

He released a long, sad sigh. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, I've been telling myself all along that they were going to revoke it, but it was still kinda hard to hear. I know my parents have some money saved for college, but I don't know if it's enough."

"Well, there's always loans and grants and stuff," I added hopefully. It was how I was hoping to pay for it. I was fucked if I didn't get any financial aid.

"I hope so."

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out. "Shit."

"What?"

"It's Newton. He asked me this morning if we wanted to go to the movies with them tonight." I read the message. "Yeah, he's asking if we're going."

"Do you want to?"

"Not if Jessica's going," I huffed. "Whatever you want to do."

"I really just want to stay here with you tonight."

I started typing a reply message. "Then that's what we'll do." When I was done, I tossed my phone on his bed, not caring if Newton replied. I dropped my hand to his chest, feeling the hard muscle under his shirt. "You think it's too early to take up on the offer from earlier?"

"A little. Hell, we probably shouldn't even be sitting like this."

"What? Don't all friends sit on each other's laps?" I chuckled.

He smiled, and then turned serious. "You really think you can raise money?"

"Yeah, I do. I don't know how much, but anything would help, right?"

"Right." He gazed at me, tucking my hair back behind my ear. "Thanks, Jas."

"Welcome, baby. Besides, about time I put these legs to use besides wrapping them around you."

"But that's what they're best at," he moaned.

"True," was the last word spoken for several long minutes while we made out. By the time his hand rested on my cock, I was already half hard, but the time he undid my jeans, I was completely hard and by the time my cock was in his mouth, I was ready to come undone.

"**~~**"

"You sure you want to do this?" I asked Edward before I got out of the truck. I'd picked him about half an hour before, listening to him tell his mom he was going over my place to work on some homework as we headed out his door.

"Yeah, I got to try to help."

"Let's do this then." I got him into his chair and then followed him up the small ramp at the end of the sidewalk to the door. He opened it, using his chair to hold it for me until I grabbed it with my hand. Inside, I inhaled the scent of the baking bread; it'd been months since I'd smelled that on his clothes. A few customers looked at us but most continued eating or standing in line. A girl behind the glass shielding the food smiled at Edward and waved as she took someone's order. I tried to remember her name, but came up blank. When she was done, she took off her gloves and ran around the counter. Leaning over, she hugged Edward.

"Hey, you look great!" she exclaimed as she stood up.

"Thanks, Katie," Edward said. "Been busy?"

"Eh. After the holidays is always slow but it's picking up now that weather is a little nicer. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. Considering," Edward shrugged.

"Yeah. I was so shocked to read about it. I kept wanting to come over but…

"I know, it's okay."

"No, it's not, I should have, but with work and stuff," she made up excuses.

"Hey, is Mr. MacFarlin around?"

"Yeah, he's out back. I'll go get him." She turned and headed back around the counter and then through a doorway.

"Do you want me to wait in the truck?"

"No, I want you with me." Nodding, I smiled at him just as Mr. MacFarlin walked out from the backroom.

"Edward," he called out with a smile as he approached. Holding out his hand for Edward to shake, he said, "Great to see you looking so well. We've missed you."

"Thanks, Mr. MacFarlin."

"What can I do for you? You boys here for lunch?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could come back to work," Edward said with a confidence I knew he wasn't feeling. "I could really use the money."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, Edward, but we're pretty set with employees at the moment. In fact, I had to let another go in January, we just weren't busy enough."

"Katie said that it was busier now," Edward glanced at the girl behind the counter.

"Things are better, but still slower than normal, but tell ya what. Why don't you boys have some lunch on the house and if I get an opening, I'll give you a call right away. You were a great worker, Edward, I miss having you around."

Edward sighed, a bit of his fight from earlier fading from him. "Thanks, Mr. MacFarlin. I'd appreciate it."

"No problem, now go order something," he motioned to the counter. Edward nodded, pushing his chair toward Katie to order his sandwich. As he worked his way down the line, requesting his cheeses and vegetables, I noticed that the counters were about as high as his mid-chest, the ovens and bread warmers that Katie reached into even higher. I watched him near the end and realized he would have barely been able to reach the cash register, much less the containers of meats and vegetables for the subs. I began to wonder if they were really slow or if Mr. MacFarlin had been too afraid to tell Edward that he couldn't work there because he was in a wheelchair. With a lump in my throat and a sinking feeling in my stomach, I ordered a sub and then followed Edward back to the truck. I helped him in and then placed his chair in the back.

"Do you want to go to your place to eat?" Edward asked as he did up his seatbelt. Biting my lip I nodded and started the truck. "What am I going to do for work?" he asked as I pulled out of the parking lot.

"I don't know, but we'll think of something," I promised.

Although I had no idea what.

"They don't deserve you anyway," I smiled at him.

We sat on the couch at my house. Edward even put his feet up on the coffee table like he would have done any other time. After eating the subs and downing a few sodas, we sat back and played some Fable III. Edward laughed and teased and I fell in love with him just a little bit more.

Later that night, I was in my room finishing up the homework Edward and I had started but never finished. I convinced him that making out and watching me jerk off was a much better way to spend our alone time. There was a knock on my door right before it opened and my mother appeared.

"This came for you," she said, waving an envelope. "I never checked the mailbox yesterday."

"What is it?"

Unable to contain herself, she grinned, "It's something from OSU."

Swallowing, I reached out and took it from her, feeling the weight of the papers inside.

"Are you going to open it?" she asked when I just sat there and stared at the envelope.

My attention was on the logo in the top left corner more than the news that awaited me inside. Biting my lip, I might have nodded before slipping a finger under the flap and tearing it open. My heart pounded, blood rushing through me, breaths speeding up as I pulled out the folded papers.

Dear Jasper,

Congratulations! After careful review of your academic credentials and other accomplishments, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Oregon State University. In addition, we are in the process of reinstating and rebuilding our men's track and field program for the spring of 2012 and would like to offer you a full scholarship covering your tuition and fees for your career at Oregon State University for your outstanding accomplishments in track and field…

My eyes read the words, but mind comprehended only one thing.

It wasn't the college that Edward was attending.

"**~~**"

Thanks for reading~

So Edward had a ghost orgasm…what is it about these two that they can't keep their hands of each other? Or, maybe it's me that likes their hands on each other? Orgasm are possible in *some* paraplegics, it varies by injury, severity, location etc. What Edward had was not full orgasm with ejaculation, but he did reach a very heightened state of arousal.

There is a new WN banner made by Carolinee81 on my profile. It's beautiful!

M&A has won Best Slash in the Inspired Fan Fic Awards in the Unrestricted Reviews categories. Thank you to everyone that nominated and voted. You can see the list of winners here: http:/inspiredfanficawards DOT blogspot DOT com/

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