A/N: WARNING: The black font is a nightmare with non-con implications, you can skip it if you don't wanna read it
Edward was still not quite sure on what to think about Jasper, but he did know one thing, and that was that he didn't want him dead.
Much less in Volterra.
Alice's been happier than he ever remembers seeing her, and Edward wishes she would keep that happiness with her, she deserved happiness.
And still, this of Jasper coming back to Volterra on his own had been absolute madness, and alright, he wasn't one to talk, but this was different, his mate wasn't dead and these were the same people who had kept him captive for decades, torturing him, humiliating him, draining any fight he might have ever had within him.
So what could he possibly want to do there? Edward couldn't for the life of him understand.
But he would still bring him back home, because Alice had saved him when he most needed it, had been there for him to face the Volturi, twice, the least he could do was repay her back by making sure Jasper made it back in one piece.
Getting into Volterra wasn't as hard as he had expected, Felix hadn't hesitated much on letting them in, but he also knew the man had done so because refusing to meet a vampire could raise a lot of rumors and a spike on their already growing bad reputation.
Yet, the situation that met them was not something he had been expecting.
~
Emmett liked Jasper, he could almost call him a brother at this point, he had a great sense of humor and he was amazing at card games and most strategic games.
Losing him wasn't in his plans, not now, not in the future, thus, he hadn't hesitated to come to Volterra, someone might need to drag his ass back home, and Emmett wanted to be that someone.
He would drag him back if he had to, he couldn't just pull this sort of bullshit just because he was The Major, what did he think? That he was invincible? He was literally one against a dozen! What did he want? To get himself killed?
Alice would be devastated if something happened to him. So would Esme, couldn't he think about the people who would be affected by this stupid act of his? Those would miss him? What even led him to believe he could come out of such impulsive act unscathed?
He was still healing, he shouldn't be looking for a fight.
And then he smelt it.
Acid.
~
Carlisle knew that having Jasper around would come with a lot of hardships, not that that's ever stopped from keeping someone around. Putting effort in someone he cared about wasn't something he found a bother.
And still, he never expected that one of those hardships would be having to come to Volterra praying that Jasper was still alive because he had thought wise to come here.
Alone.
Such recklessness and imprudence, what had he been thinking? But again, Rosalie had confessed that all of Jasper's memories were back, him coming here might be driven by his newfound memories.
What even would lead him to do this in the first place? He had barely managed to keep Alice from coming here, he couldn't let her anywhere near Volterra, not when Jasper was already there.
It might be a trap, what Aro wanted, have them both under the same roof.
And while Carlisle had assured Alice he would bring Jasper back, he was praying that they weren't too late, that Jasper was alright, that they could make it out at all.
The walk to the throne room never felt as eternal as the few minutes it took them by following Felix.
Suddenly, he smelt it.
Acid .
Black blood.
For a moment, the worst scenario came to mind, that they were late, the Volturi had killed him.
But then Felix pushed the door open.
And Carlisle's dead heart dropped at the sight of Jasper, he was being pinned down by Caius, what he recognized as a silver knife being pressed at the back of his neck, Caius who was putting his weight on the back of Jasper's knees.
Demetri was a few feets away, missing his arms and with a torn up face, a huge chunk of his throat missing. Black blood staining his face.
Had Jasper done that?
-Carlisle, dear friend, what brings you here?- Aro greets cheerfully, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening right infront of him.
-Aro-
-We are here for him, so, give him to us.- Emmett snapped, glaring at Aro, his gaze wandering towards Caius who he also glares hatefully at, what would he not give to tear that bastard to pieces.
Put that knife he was holding against his brother down his throat.
-I'm afraid I cannot do that.
-Why not? You can't control him, and he's already made his point clear on what he aims to do, why make so much trouble for so little?- Edward questioned, he could see it in their minds.
What Jasper had said, what he had threatened to do.
But he could also, for the first time in months, read his mind again, because Jasper was letting him, and his reasoning behind…
God, not even Edward would ever go so far, he was willing to expose their secret to the world, in the most horrid manners too, if it meant protecting Alice.
And not just Alice, he hadn't come here nor was he doing this for Alice completely.
He was also doing it for them.
And Edward had no idea what to think of that.
Because he could have never expected that Jasper would feel that strongly for them, enough to be willing to do just about anything to keep them safe. And that…
It made him see him on a whole new light.
-He killed one of ours, he won't-
-Quiet.- Aro cut off, making Caius glare at him, Aro ignored him.
Right now, he was seething, because on one side, he couldn't let The Major go, much less with the Cullens, such asset couldn't be on any hands but his, his gift, his mind, his skills, he couldn't just let the Cullens keep such a valuable asset.
A black blood on top of it, one who apparently had connections with over 30 gifted vampires, that was twice the amount of gifts he had in his own arsenal.
Finding useful gifts was near impossible, but somehow, Carlisle had managed to get himself several of the most powerful ones, a mind reader, a clairvoyant, a shield, and an empath.
And The Major wasn't even a regular empath, he could control other people's emotions to a biological level.
Such strength couldn't be kept on such weak hands as Carlisle's.
But on the other hand, risking exposure wasn't an option, humans had weapons capable of injuring them, weapons capable of doing catastrophic damage, the gifts in his arsenal weren't enough to surpass such weapons, much less if said weapons were spread all over the globe.
If their secret was exposed through footage and attacks in broad daylight, all at the same time, there wouldn't be any chance at controlling the damage.
But agreeing to this would be just accepting that anyone could manipulate the Volturi, which wasn't something he could allow.
-Your reputation is on the ground as it's, wanna make it worse? Choosing to let our secret get exposed so as to not damage your pride is definitely something that would get everyone to turn against you. The final push you might say.- Edward said, reading Aro's thoughts, the Volturi's leader glared at him.
Silence reigned for a moment as Aro's scowl seemed to grow and grow, and then.
-Caius, let him go.- Aro told at last, Caius turned to him with a stupified look.
-You can't be serious.
-Yes, I am, don't make me repeat myself, let him go.- Aro ordered, giving Caius a stern look, leaving no room for argument, the blond glared at him before letting go of Jasper, standing up and stepping back, shoving the silver knife back into his robes.
Carlisle was kneeling at Jasper's side in seconds, one thing he was quick to notice as he helped him up were the dislocated shoulders, and he was extra careful as he helped him back on his feet, holding his waist to keep him upright.
Carlisle noticed something though, that regardless of how serious he looked right now, he was shaking.
-You may leave now.- Aro stated, voice dry, and for once, there was no smile on his face. That always meant that the man was definitely angry.
Better not test luck, Carlisle tried to take a step but Jasper didn't move.
-Wait.
God, what now?
-I want the "souvenir" you took from me before back.- Jasper demanded, giving Aro a cold look, he knew he was testing luck right now, but he wanted it back, it was all he had left from his human life that didn't brought him nauseating memories.
He couldn't, wouldn't leave without it.
Aro leveled him with a glare and he cursed how he couldn't keep down the urge to look down, away from the same red eyes who had made him crave for death more than once.
He bit his tongue, his throat burnt, God, not yet, he couldn't break down now. He had to be strong, it was pathetic how weak and afraid he had become, taking in a deep breath and pushing further his emotions he looked back up, holding Aro's glare with one of his own.
-You don't give it to me, and I'll make you lose another one.- He threatened harshly, looking at Demetri before glancing at Marcus.
And then at Aro, one thing Aro had the bad habit of, it was that he made metaphors based on actual situations, more like references , Jasper spent decades watching their behavior, connecting dots.
He knows it.
That Aro was the one who killed Marcus' mate so he wouldn't leave Volterra.
He smirked at the spike in alarm and hatred in Aro's emotions, this before the man was pulling out a familiar chain from his robes and throwing it at him, Emmett caught it for him without hesitation, holding it out for Jasper to see.
-Is this it?- Jasper nodded.
And with that the four of them walked out of that hell, Jasper struggled a lot, but he was nothing if not stubborn, his pride had been wounded enough as it was.
But at least Alice would be safe now, and so would the Cullens.
It felt like forever before they reached a car, Carlisle opened the door, helping him onto the backseat before closing the door, no one said a word as Edward got on the driver's seat and Emmett on the copilot's seat, Carlisle circling the car so as to sit on the backseat with him.
Jasper tried to not focus much on them as the car started, his focus settling on the bronze chain with the horseshoe that Emmett was still holding, when Aro took it from him he had thought he would never get to see it again.
"My father gave it to me, and his father gave it to him. It ain't a luxurious heirloom, but it doesn't have to be luxurious to be a most important treasure."
"'m givin' it to you because I trust you, and because I love you."
He could almost remember the warm hands resting on his shoulders, strong, but warm, safe.
-Can I have it back, please?- Jasper requested, he couldn't move his arms, but he wanted it back, preferably now.
Emmett held it out for him before seeming to remember he couldn't lift his arms, thus, he dropped it on his lap.
-Is that important?- Carlisle's sudden voice caught Jasper's attention, and he didn't even need to feel his emotions to know that while he was genuinely curious, he was also trying to go for a much more simple conversation starter.
For a moment, he didn't wish to answer, but then he decided that it wouldn't do harm.
-My father gave it to me.- He muttered at last, he had given it to him on his 10th birthday, saying he was already old enough to be trusted with the responsibility of taking care of something so important.
He never took it off, until Aro ripped it from his neck, and now the clip was broken.
Just like he broke him in ways he might never manage to fix.
- It's a nice chain.
Jasper didn't answer to it, he was still staring at it.
-I can set your shoulders back in place, it will hurt, but the quicker we do it the sooner you will heal.- Carlisle said, Jasper gave him a short nod and he was quick to take action, turning to face him and carefully grabbing his arm.- You ready?
Another silent nod.
In one swift move Carlisle set his shoulder back in place, and not even a grimace came from Jasper, but Carlisle did notice how stiff he grew, jaw set tight as he squeezed his eyes shut, but not a single sound came from him.
His pain tolerance was quite disturbing.
-You need a moment?- He still asked, just in case he needed a moment to process the pain.
-No, get it over with.
-You sure?- A nod is all he got, and Carlisle grabbed his other arm, setting the shoulder back in place.
Again, no reaction.
-Thank you.- Jasper muttered, wincing a bit as he tested his arms, one thing less to worry about.
-Jasper.
And here it came, he turned to look at Carlisle.
-I won't apologize nor will I give excuses, I did what I'd to do and I would do it all over again if it means Alice's safe.
-You think that's what she wants? For you to put your life at risk for her?- Carlisle questions, he understood that Jasper was doing this to keep Alice safe, but threatening the Volturi like that…
It had been too reckless.
-I won't let the Volturi get their hands on her, she's not a tool and I won't just sit back and wait for 'em to grab her if I can do somethin' to stop it.- Jasper snaps dryly.
-You think exposing vampires is how she will be safe?
-'m not stupid, I would never do somethin' to put her or those she loves at risk. No vegetarian vampire would ever be in danger, just the general ones, but the focus will be mainly on Volterra.
Jasper told as a statement of fact, he wasn't stupid, he knew the cons and pros of such plan, but Alice would always be safe regardless of anything. No one would ever even believe vampires could feed on animals or even have such unnatural thing as that of golden eyes.
-Innocents have no reason to be caught in the crossfire of such a thing. You think she would like that? And you say you would never put her or those she loves at risk, but you put yourself at risk, and you are the one person she loves most above anyone else.
Carlisle's words made Jasper scowl, so what if innocents were caught in the crossfire? Alice would be safe, those she loved would be safe, but she would hate him, even be disgusted by him.
That wasn't a comforting thought, he liked to think that nothing else mattered as long as Alice was safe.
But he was much too selfish to be alright with the idea of her hating him, resenting him, that wasn't something he couldn't stomach at all.
-She was worried about you, I barely kept her from coming looking for you herself.
Carlisle's words made Jasper grimace, Alice was never suppose to set foot in Volterra, because if she did.
She might never be able to leave.
And he could never let her become a weapon, not her, never her.
-Look, all I'm saying is that you shouldn't act so recklessly, today you were lucky, but what about next time? You shouldn't do these kind of things alone, I know you mean well, that you just want to protect Alice, but put yourself in her shoes for one moment, how would you feel like it she was the one taunting death in your name? Disappearing on you without warning?
Jasper didn't answer, as much as he hated to admit it, Carlisle did had a point there, he was reckless in the execution of the plan, he let his emotions get the best of him, a most fatidical mistake in the battlefield.
But in the process, he also hurt Alice, more than he might have first realized, he wanted her safe, alive, happy.
But how could she be happy if he was the one bringing her despair?
The sudden hand on his arm almost made him jump, same as the unexpected sadness, concern, calm, warmth, a kind of warmth that felt familiar but that he couldn't quite place.
And as he looked up he was met with such an odd look, he didn't understand what it meant, but it made his throat close.
-Look, I know we haven't known for long, but I want you to know that you aren't alone, you don't have to do everything on your own, you are part of this family, and in this family, we look after each other.
Carlisle's words made Jasper's chest burn, and he had to drop his head so he wouldn't have to look at him, vision blurring, he bit his tongue, seething over the damn tear that escaped him, he was quick to wipe it away, he wouldn't cry, he wasn't so frail.
But God, this whole day had been such a pain, he was sore, in pain, uncomfortable and just way too done with everything, Carlisle's words and warmth didn't help at all, because there was such genuine honesty in there.
Such fondness, warmth, because those words hit something raw, to have someone aside from Alice and Peter who genuinely cared about him, when Alice first told him about the Cullens he had fantasized about how it would be like.
To belong in such a warm and peaceful place, amongst people who didn't stab each other in the back nor relinquished on hurting each other, but instead protected each other, even Rosalie who's relationship with Edward was a bit hostile seemed to care about him and viceverse.
Like a family.
A family he had craved, they even came for him, not for Alice, but because they honestly cared about him.
And he had no idea how to feel about that, all he could do was curse the damn tears, what the hell was he even crying for? His chest burnt, it hurt, but it felt warm, and he couldn't stop the damn tears.
Because as stated before, it had been a terrible day, he had been terrified out of his mind, because he had stepped into Volterra with no plans of coming out, facing Aro, Felix, his head almost being torn off again, he was already way too overwhelmed.
And Carlisle's words feel like the last straw for him in the damn emotional rollercoaster he's been put in the whole day.
And the tears won't stop, he can't stop shaking, can't stop crying, can't even stop the pathetic sob.
He doesn't swat the sudden hand that rests on top of his head, it's warm, gentle, comforting.
And for the first time in a long time, it feels like he can trust this person, like he might genuinely have a chance at starting anew.
Not just with Alice, but with the family he never got to meet.
~
Carlisle had decided that spending the night at a hotel wouldn't do harm, Jasper had fallen asleep in the car, and Carlisle couldn't blame him, having to face the Volturi alone, Aro, Felix, it must have taken a tool on him.
It was outstanding, the courage and stubbornness he must have gathered to be able to face the same people who had tortured him for decades, same man who tore his head off.
All to protect Alice.
And not just Alice, but them for what Edward had told him.
Carlisle was both bewildered and concerned at it, on one hand, it was heartwarming to know he cared so deeply about Alice, and them.
But on the other hand… it was concerning that he had such destructive disregard of his own comfort zone and safety, all so as to protect others.
Alice had said once that Jasper had always been overly protective, but he never expected it could go this far, and he wasn't sure if that was a bad or a good thing.
He was still sleeping, hadn't even twitched when Carlisle took him out of the car and carried him to their room, he had left the chain on the nightstand, he would ask him if he wanted to get it fixed once they were back in Texas.
Carlisle had dressed the wounds on his hand and neck, also checked the blister at the back of his neck from where the silver knife had burnt at his skin. Aside from those and the dislocated shoulders he had had also a busted lip, a broken rib and the muscles on his knees had been put under a lot of strain.
So, it would be best for him to rest a bit before having to subject him to an airplane flight for the next few hours.
Plus, he needed a change of clothes, his were stained with his own blood and venom, and while humans wouldn't know what the silver and black stuff were, black blood reeked like a corpse, it would certainly attract attention.
Since he couldn't speak on the phone Edward had snapped a picture of him while he slept and sent it to Alice, Carlisle knew, so as to soothe her worries.
Jasper was alright, and he would be back home tomorrow.
They were all gonna be alright.
~
"What's wrong, Major?"- Aro's voice is like an echo, his emotions dragging across his skin like sandpaper, making the flesh feel raw.
A hand slowly travels up his leg, all under a dozen of stares, whispers fill the place, snickers, smirks, mocking looks.
"Do you want to cry? How demeaning, and you are meant to be the god of war? You can't even take such a little thing."
Fingers curl around his groin, making his stomach twist, chains clink in the darkness as he pulls at them unconsciously, but of course they don't break.
He tries to move his legs, but his body feels heavy, he can't move, can't do nothing but drown under the stares, whispers crawling under his skin, eyes, so many eyes, mocking, judging, delighted, arrogant, gleeful.
Suddenly, hands grab his shoulders, exact same time his arms grow loose.
He pounces.
~
Carlisle wasnt unaware of Jasper's nightmares, but those had been decreasing a lot, and still, it shouldn't have surprised him that he had one after what he had to go through today.
But this one had been different than the previous ones, this time, he didn't just whimper or sobbed in his sleep.
No.
This time, he spoke.
"Don't look at me."
"Stop."
"Please stop."
But the one that made Carlisle's venom freeze wasn't neither of those.
"Don't touch me."
Was it.
His voice wasn't pained, but terrified, disgusted, desperated. The thick sea of raw terror slicing at his skin, anger, hatred, impotence, disgust, shame.
From Jasper.
And the moment he realized what the nightmare was about, the moment he was at his side, pushing back the curtain of negative emotions coming from Jasper, he touched his shoulders, shaking him, wanting to wake him up , he knew that it was a terrible idea to touch someone having a nightmare.
But he couldn't bear to keep on hearing his pleas, feeling such heartbreaking emotions, and the moment he touched his shoulder, the moment Jasper jerked awake, eyes wild and terrified as he pounced at Carlisle.
Carlisle managed to grab his arms to keep him from scratching, tearing or hitting, didn't stop Jasper from sinking his fangs onto his shoulder, growling as he threatened to tear skin off.
-Jasper, it's alright, it was a nightmare. You are safe here, I'm Carlisle, remember? I mean you no harm.- He's quick to start soothing, keeping his emotions calm and making a point at telling Edward to not come.
He was with Emmett in the next room, staying in two rooms had looked less attention catching.
Point is, last thing he needs is Edward barging into the room and agitating Jasper more than he already is.
Jasper growls, tightening his grip on his shoulder, he can almost feel the skin starting to give in there, it doesn't burn as bad as with a regular vampire, a reminder that he was dealing with a black blood, a black blood with a busted lip, he had to get him to stop biting him.
-Jasper, I came here for you today because you are part of this family, I told you, didn't I? In this family, we look after each other, we may argue sometimes, but we don't hurt each other. That means no one will ever hurt you, I would never hurt you, nor would I ever let anyone hurt you.
Because even if it's been just a few months, Carlisle already considered him his son, because he's been his son from the moment Alice first told them about him, these past months had been nothing but his chance at finally getting to meet him, to know him.
And it's certainly cemented his feelings for him.
Even if Jasper himself never grew to consider them a family, Carlisle certainly already considered him part of the family, another son to love and care for.
Regardless of the hardships that came with it Carlisle would never give up on him, he had suffered for so long, he deserved to have people who understood him and cared about him, who would support him and help him get through these difficult times.
It was hard, but it wouldn't be forever, and at the end, it would be worth if he got to live a normal life. No longer afraid and anxious…
He kept talking to him, assuring him of his safety with him, it took a while, but the strength in his bite diminished completely, until he eventually let go, and Carlisle dared to release his arms.
Jasper didn't move, he just sat there, forehead leaning against his shoulder, he could feel him shaking, but his heartbeat was going back to a quiet pace, so he took that as a win
-'m sorry.- Came the soft whisper, Carlisle dared to bring up a hesitant hand to rest on his back, when Jasper didn't flinch he began rubbing soft circles around it, hoping to bring him some comfort, he wanted to hug him, but he had the feeling that trapping him between his arms would just agitate him.
Thus, he just took it to rub his back.
-Don't be, it's not your fault, what's important is that you are alright now.- Carlisle assured, focusing on calm emotions to make a point, he wasn't mad, irritated nor annoyed, he shouldn't be apologizing over something he had no control over.
And after what happened today it stood to reason he would have a nightmare, and that he would react so volatile, it was a reflex everyone had, animals, humans, just about any living being.
To attack if they felt like they were in danger.
Jasper had had to live with the constant of danger for decades, it stood to reason he wouldn't hesitate to attack at the slightest sign of danger, even more so after a nightmare.
He felt him clutch his shirt, but other than that he didn't speak nor move, Carlisle didn't mind, he was used to give comfort in absolute silence, or to speak and not get an answer, Rosalie was like that during the rare times where she seeked his comfort.
She just wanted to be comforted in silence, no questions, no expectations for an answer, nothing, just his presence and the reassurance that she was safe.
Thus, he just sat there in silence, never stopping rubbing his back, at some point, Jasper leaned against him completely, his muscles relaxed, he wasn't shaking anymore, and his breathing was even, he was asleep once again.
Carlisle sat there for a while longer, when he was sure Jasper was back in a deep sleep he was careful to lay him back down on the bed, wiping away the stray tears with the back of his hand and making sure his legs were in a comfortable position.
He had seen the crutches, so he guessed he was now strong enough to use crutches, he would get him a pair once back in Texas, he hadn't wanted to give him crutches before because of the weakness in his arms, his muscles hadn't been used in decades, making him pull his weight around wouldn't be possible.
He could end up falling or putting unnecessary strain on his muscles, he was a black blood, but the crystallization in them was still similar to theirs, their muscles needed time to recover, if they put them under strain to quickly they might end up doing more damage than good.
Because while vampires were more resistant than humans, their muscles took a while to relax when healing from a petrification state, putting strain on them could cause their muscles to brittle, something that couldn't be fixed in time with their ralentized healing.
And if it couldn't be fixed in time the pieces would just scatter and never heal.
And that would certainly not end well.
Carlisle was worried enough as it was with the current state of his legs, even more so after what shapeshifting did to his bones.
He just hoped it wouldn't leave permanent damage.
He didn't leave the bed throughout the whole night, he sat there with him, watching his sleep and listening to the quiet heartbeat, just to be sure he wouldn't have another nightmare.
Thank God he didn't twitch for the rest of the night.
~
Emmett left the room around 6:30 am, he went straight to the hotel's kitchen and after some begging, cash and broken Italian he managed to convince one of the cooks to let him make something.
It wasn't even gonna take that long.
Because while Emmett didn't knew how to cook, he was an expert at making the greatest grilled cheese humankind had ever seen.
As a human, nothing ever made his mornings more pleasant after a shitty night than a grilled cheese with hot chocolate.
And after Jasper's terrible night he feels like he should eat something much more comforting than a sad bag of blood.
He had been making a castle of cards on Edward's head when the chilling words had hit, the raw emotions, and all it had taken was one look at Edward to just know he wasn't overthinking on what those words and emotions meant.
He had heard those same words, seen those same emotions, on Rosalie.
And it makes him sick to think Jasper might have been put through such a thing, even more so because he had been in fucking chains, who the hell did such a fucked up thing?
It made Emmett want to go back and shred those overglorified bastards to pieces.
-You are such a nice brother.- The sudden voice made him turn to look at his side where an old woman stood at with a smile on her face.
She had been the one to push the others into agreeing to let him into the kitchen, he had even bought the ingredients himself, had asked left and right all he bought was good, and had double-checked none of it had come into contact with garlic.
Point is, all he had needed was a kitchen, and a pan, because he even bought a mug, a mug with a cactus cowboy.
He had been at the verge of kneeling on the ground, begging them to let him use the kitchen to make something for his brother because he had a horrible night and grilled cheese was his comfort food.
The old woman, Sol, was her name, had taken pity on him, so he was here now, with gloves and a hat surrounded with so many overwhelming scents he had had to stop breathing, not that he could keep it up for too long, wouldn't be good if someone noticed.
-Thanks.
-That's nice, siblings should be good with each other, they are lifetime friends who will always be there for you.
-He's a good friend.- Emmett conceded, he loved his siblings, and there was nothing he wouldn't do for them, even Edward who was a stick in the mud at times, but that stick in the mud was his brother, and Emmett would give hell to anyone who messed with him.
Jasper had become his brother too, and because he was his brother, Emmett would do whatever it took to make sure he never felt afraid or like he had done last night.
He might not be great with emotions nor comforting people, but he's learnt throughout the years that by just being there or doing something nice for people when they were feeling shitty was enough to comfort them.
To let them know he cared.
And so, grilled cheese and hot chocolate was it.
~
-'m sorry you've to do this.- Jasper muttered as he watched Carlisle kneel before him.
-It's alright, asking for help is not something to apologize for.- Carlisle assured, he had put a chair from the balcony in the shower earlier so Jasper could take a shower since there was no bathtub.
All he had done was help Jasper in and out of the shower, and while he had had a towel around his waist to cover himself he had still looked so miserable and uncomfortable Carlisle had tried to be as quick as possible.
He had dressed on his own with the clothes Carlisle had bought him last night before coming to the hotel.
Or well, he dressed himself, until the shirt came, Carlisle had gotten him a button up shirt because he knew his shoulders would be awfully sore for him to be comfortable lifting his arms over his head without feeling pain, and still, it never occurred to him that he would have trouble with buttons.
And that Alice might be the one who helps him with the buttons at home, still, he had no issue buttoning his shirt up.
Once he finished with the buttons, he fixed the neck of his shirt before stepping back. Jasper looked down at himself for a moment before giving Carlisle a funny look.
-Thank you.
Before Carlisle could answer a soft sound came from the door, catching their attention.
-So, I would knock, but I have my hands very much full, so yeah, it would be great if you could open the door.- Came Emmett's voice, Carlisle smiled in amusement before going over to the door, as he opened it he was met with Emmett.
Holding a steaming mug of what looked like hot chocolate, and a plate with a grilled cheese on it, he raised an eyebrow.
-What? I know it looks mouthwatering, but it ain't for you.- Emmett said, walking past Carlisle dramatically quickly, as if expecting him to snatch it, making Carlisle chuckle at his antics.
Emmett smirked once he caught sight of Jasper, he was sitting at the edge of the bed, he looked a bit pale, and tired, but at least he didn't look as pale as yesterday.
-Look what I made.- Emmett stated, presenting to him the grilled cheese as if it were a most exquisite relic. Jasper frowned at it.
-For me?
-No, for me, duh , of course it's for you, who else can eat it?- Emmett told as a statement of fact, still holding the plate out for Jasper to take, he stared at it for a full minute before taking it with a hesitant look.
-Thank you.
-Also made some hot chocolate. You like hot chocolate, right?- Emmett questioned as he carefully set the mug down on the nightstand.
-I do.- Jasper conceded, not sure what else to say, he was confused on where did this come from, he had heard from Alice that Emmett didn't knew how to cook, and that he wasn't a particular fan of cooking in general because he couldn't eat.
But he said he made these, how did he even made these with no kitchen?
-Go on, give it a bite, that's the best grilled cheese sandwich in the world, trust me, I'm an expert at that, would have its own five stars and a certificate of amazingness if it could.- Emmett said, snickering at the look Jasper gave him.
Meanwhile, Jasper decided to humor Emmett and took a bite from the sandwich, to his surprise, it was great, crunchy, warm and with enough cheese to make his chest feel warm.
-So?
-... It tastes good.- Jasper conceded, smirking as he felt the burst of pride in Emmett's emotions at his words.
-Of course it does, I'm a five star chef when it comes to grilled cheese.- Emmett stated with a smug look, feeling quite triumphant at the little smirk on Jasper's face.
Good. At least he looked less ill now.
A/N: In my whole life I only went to a hotel once for my cousin's 15, there was no bathtub and we had to drag a chair from the balcony into the shower so my aunt in a wheelchair could shower Do hotels even have bathtubs? What for? Can't imagine someone relaxing in a bathtub that's been used by hundreds, deep cleaned or not, but that's just me, bathtubs in general give me the ick LOL
Anywho, what did you think about the interactions between Jasper and Carlisle here? I enjoyed writing the father-son bonding moments, but it still felt like I was rushing it