A/N: Twilight is the property of Stephanie Meyers. Anya Simms is all mine.
Chapter 27: Declarations
APOV
Evening Thurs Mar 3/03
I half expected to get dragged into the principal's office for the little stunt in the cafeteria. But nope. No reprimand, not even a stern look. I laid the blame—or rather, the begrudging thanks—at Meyer's feet for being so vague on the sloppy administration of this high school.
In real life, a teacher singing with a student, and at another male student, no less? Big no-no.
But in Forks, the normal rules of behaviour didn't seem to matter.
I also half entertained the idea of seeing if I could get away with making out with Jasper in the hall, but I decided against it. Unlike the teens I found myself surrounded by all day, I had no need for over-the-top PDA. I was an adult with a house.
And privacy.
On the way home, I stopped to pick up some Chardonnay and found my old Grace Jones record. Perfect. The soundtrack for my dinner dance was set. Once home, I changed into my most comfortable low-rise jeans and a cut-off t-shirt. I twisted my hair up into chopsticks, letting a few strands fall loose, swiped on a quick coat of perfectly pink lipstick and then put the record on. The hypnotic beat of La Vie En Rose filled the room, and I began to sway my hips, letting the music take over.
Right on cue, the hairs on the back of my neck rose.
Vampire – mine.
I smiled to myself, not bothering to turn around as I felt Jasper's presence fill the room. The air shifted slightly, the familiar coolness wrapping around me even as the warmth of the music pulsed through the air. I continued to sway, letting the song guide me, feeling his eyes on me as he watched from the doorway.
"You know it's dangerous to leave your doors unlocked in this town," Jasper's voice was soft, a hint of admiration lacing his tone.
I turned slowly, a playful smile tugging at my lips. "Like a lock would stop you, Tex?"
He was leaning against the doorframe, thumbs hooked in his belt loops, a small, appreciative smile on his lips as he took in the scene. There was something about the way he looked at me—like I was the only thing in the world that mattered—that made my heart skip a beat every time.
And not in the predator ready to pounce on its dinner either, more in the "I am a man, and I am lovin' everything I see in front of me" kinda way.
"You going to join me, or just stand there looking pretty?" I teased, swaying closer to him.
He pushed off the doorframe and closed the distance in that graceful glide of his, hands finding my waist as he pulled me into a slow, easy rhythm. "I think I'll do both," he murmured, his lips brushing against my ear.
I melted into him, letting the music and his touch wash over me. This was our world—one where the rules of Forks High School didn't apply, where it was just us, no expectations, no judgment. Just Jasper and Anya.
"I half thought I'd end up in the principal's office for that little show earlier," I said with a chuckle, leaning my head against his chest as we swayed together.
Jasper let out a low laugh. "In Forks? You could probably start a flash mob and get away with it."
I grinned, my fingers tracing small circles on his back. "Good to know. I'll keep that in mind for next time."
We danced in comfortable silence for a while. Jasper's hands moved up to cradle my face, his thumb brushing over my cheek as he looked down at me, his gaze intense but soft.
"I missed you today," he said quietly, his voice full of sincerity. "That little show you put on in the cafeteria... that was an interesting song choice."
I looked up at him, my smile turning more playful. "Glad you were paying attention."
"Oh, I was," he replied, his voice dropping lower, sending a frisson of desire down my spine. "You made sure of that."
Feeling daring, "I meant every word I sang."
Jasper stilled, the faintest crease appearing between his brows as he absorbed my words. For a split second, his usual calm demeanour faltered, replaced by a vulnerability I rarely saw in him. His hands, which had been resting lightly on my hips, tightened their grip, pulling me closer. His forehead leaned against mine and I swear I felt a breathy sigh escape his lips.
WOW
"You did?" His voice was barely above a whisper.
No, I just sing random love songs to vampires for the hell of it.
"Yes," I repeated, my voice steady even as my heart raced. "Every single word, Jasper. I wasn't just singing a song—I was telling you how I feel. I realize it might not have been the most conventional manner." I bit my lip, my gaze never leaving his as he pulled away to look at me. "But I'm hardly conventional and I know what I want."
For a moment, the only sound was the hypnotic beats of the music and Grace Jones sultry voice in the background. Damn do I know how to pick my music! Jasper's eyes searched mine, as if looking for any sign that I might be joking, or taking it back, or regretting what I'd just said. But I wasn't, and I wouldn't. I tried to push out exactly how it was I was feeling – love, hoping that would be all the convincing he needed.
Jasper's expression softened, a warmth spreading across his face that I rarely saw in public. It was a look that was just for me. "You are the most perplexing woman," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "It's one of the things I..."
He trailed off, swallowing hard, as if whatever he was about to say caught in his throat. But his eyes remained honey-golden, so it wasn't bloodlust he was fighting. Meyer – he's fighting against his scripted role, to see humans as a snack and not as humans. His fingers brushed against my cheek, feather-light, and I leaned into the touch, my eyes fluttering shut.
"Shh Tex, I'm not trying to pressure you." I whispered, feeling the tears prickling at the corners of my eyes, a mixture of overwhelming relief and joy. "I just wanted you to know. That I love you."
AHHHH! I just told a vampire who two months ago was just a fictional character to me the most terrifying words in the English language: I love you.
I meant every word.
Said vampire's reaction was immediate; he pulled me into a fierce, desperate kiss, like he was afraid I might vanish if he let go. His lips moved against mine with a certainty that matched the racing of my heart, and I melted into him, desperately wondering if it would be too much if I tried to wrap my legs around him.
When he finally pulled back, his eyes were slightly darker, but again, I felt no fear of bloodlust. "I've loved you from the moment I first walked into this house," he confessed, his voice raw and honest. "I just didn't think I'd ever be... lucky enough to hear you say it back."
His admission left me weak in the knees as I felt waves of his love wash over me. I blinked, trying to steady the trembling in my voice. "Well, here I am," I said, managing a wobbly smile. "Team Jasper to the end, remember?"
Jasper let out a soft laugh, the sound full of wonder. "Team Jasper to the end" he said, his fingers lacing with mine. He spun me around then, making me laugh as he pulled me into another dance, our movements slow and intimate.
I couldn't help but laugh, the image of my duet partner flashing in my mind. "So, do you need to be on guard duty at Mike's house tonight? You know, Heathcliff was looking a little jealous... or was it hungry? I couldn't rightly tell."
Jasper chuckled, shaking his head as he pulled me closer. "Jealous, definitely. Hungry... well, that's always a possibility with Edward."
I rolled my eyes, grinning up at him. "Poor Mike. He has no idea what kind of mess he's accidentally walked into."
"He'll be fine," Jasper said, his tone reassuring, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Edward might be irritated, but he's not about to take it out on Mike. At least, not in any way that matters."
I raised an eyebrow, playfully skeptical. "You sure about that? Eddie boy's not known for behaving rationally in case you haven't noticed."
Jasper smirked, his hands sliding to the small of my back. "Oh, I've noticed. But trust me, Mike's safe. Besides, you've got Edward more occupied with what happened in the woods with Bella."
"Right... the lion and the lamb," I groaned, rolling my eyes. "Ugh, Tex, those words are literally emblazoned on my brain."
Jasper chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest as he held me closer. "Yeah, that line's hard to forget."
"Of course, it isn't," I grumbled. "Your creator made sure of that."
Jasper's lips twitched with amusement. "Could've been worse. You could've been stuck with the 'heroin' line."
I couldn't help but laugh at that, shaking my head. "Don't even get me started. There's an entire subset of fans who latched onto that one." Walking towards the kitchen counter to get my drink.
His curiosity piqued, he raised an eyebrow. "A subset of fans?"
"Oh, yeah," I replied, taking a sip of my wine and holding the glass deliberately, hoping he'd catch the clue. "You know, the kind of fans who've made a game out of it all. They turn the most melodramatic passages into... let's say, opportunities."
"Opportunities?" he echoed, clearly intrigued. "Like those fangirls you've mentioned? The ones who wear 'Team Edward' t-shirts and have all the sparkly merch?"
I nodded, swirling the wine in my glass. "Exactly. But this is more... for adults. Let's just say that when they read certain passages—like the 'heroin' line—they take a drink. It's become a bit of a game."
Jasper's eyes lit up with understanding. "So, the more over-the-top the writing, the more they drink?"
"Bingo," I said with a grin, taking another sip. "Your creator might've had a knack for the melodramatic, but some people found a way to make it fun."
He laughed, "Leave it to humans to turn melodrama into a drinking game."
"Well, sometimes it was the only way to get through the books." I teased, leaning into him. "And really, can you blame them? A little wine makes those lines a lot easier to swallow."
Jasper's gaze softened as he looked down at me, the amusement still dancing in his eyes. "I guess I can't blame them. Especially if it means spending more time with you."
"Now you're getting it," I murmured, smiling up at him. "Why do you think I have the wine ready?"
He chuckled, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Smart move, Anya. Very smart."
I shivered as his lips brushed against my skin, feeling the warmth spread through me. I took another sip of wine, trying to steady myself as I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. Staring into my glass, swaying gently to the music that still played in the background, another morbidly funny thought crossed my mind. I couldn't help but snort at the irony of it all.
"Talking about drinking games with a struggling vegetarian," I mused aloud, the corners of my lips quirking up. "At least I had the good sense to buy white wine and not red."
Jasper's eyes sparkled with amusement, a low laugh rumbling from his chest. "White was a wise choice," he agreed.
I looked up at him, meeting his gaze, and felt a mixture of humour and tenderness settle between us. "Yeah, I figured red might send the wrong message. Didn't want to give you any ideas, Tex."
He grinned, the light in his eyes dancing as he gently took the glass from my hand and set it aside. "Trust me, Darlin'," he drawled, in a manner that never failed to send a thrill through me, "the only thing I'm interested in right now is you."
I could feel his hands at the small of my back, drawing me in closer, the warmth of my body contrasting with the coolness of his touch. The music in the background seemed to fade as I focused entirely on him, on the way he looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered.
"Then let's skip the drinking games," I whispered, my voice a little breathless as I tilted my head up toward him, "and focus on something a little more... productive."
Jasper's lips curved into a slow, wicked smile as he leaned in, capturing my mouth with his in a kiss that left no room for doubt about what he wanted. I melted into him, the taste of the wine lingering on my lips as the world around us seemed to fall away.
I wish I could say we managed to get past those heady kisses against the kitchen counter—the way Jasper's hands grazed against my midriff under the hem of my shirt (yeah, I planned that, hoping for a little skin-on-skin action as in spite of all our making out it was still strictly with clothes on)—but that all came to a crashing halt.
A literal crashing halt as Emmett came barreling through my backdoor, leaping over the desk in my office and skidding into the kitchen to physically yank Jasper off of me.
I stared at him, completely stunned. ""Ben voyons don! Seriously?"
Emmett, grinning like he'd just pulled off the prank of the century, looked entirely too pleased with himself. "Sorry to interrupt, lovebirds," he said, not sounding sorry at all, "but we've got a situation. Edward's losing it, and you know how he gets."
Jasper groaned, stepping back from me, his hands still lingering near my waist, "What now?"
Emmett shrugged, his grin widening. "Edward caught the tail end of a vision Alice had of you two. Only problem is, he saw it out of context—just you leaning over Anya's neck. So naturally, he thinks you've gone rogue and there's about to be a dead librarian on our hands."
I blinked, trying to wrap my head around what he was saying. "Wait, Edward thinks you were going to...?"
"Force the family to leave town because Jazz man couldn't control himself," Emmett finished, his tone both amused and exasperated. "And, of course, that would mean poor broody Edward would have to leave Bella behind—again."
Jasper closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose in pure frustration. "Of course, he does."
"Well, you can't blame the guy," Emmett continued, clearly enjoying himself. "Alice's vision probably looked pretty damning from his perspective. He's already halfway out the door, convinced you've ruined everything."
"Unbelievable," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Of course, he would. Because, naturally, it's always the newest member of the family—the bad southern v-vegetarian who has no damn self-control."
I couldn't help it; the frustration boiled over, and the curses slipped out before I could stop them. "Esti de câlice de tabarnak!"
Emmett raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my outburst, but I wasn't in the mood to explain. This was exactly what I hated about how Meyer's wrote Edward—the constant overreacting, the melodrama. But I couldn't exactly vent my frustrations to the two golden-eyed supernaturals standing in my kitchen. Instead, I just sighed, running a hand through my hair, dropping my chopsticks to the ground as I tried to calm myself down. "Just... go sort him out, will you? Before he does something completely stupid."
Jasper's eyes softened, a mix of regret and understanding in his gaze. "I will, Anya. I'll make sure Eddie boy knows the truth."
Emmett smirked, still clearly entertained by the whole situation. "And maybe remind him that not everything is a catastrophe waiting to happen."
I couldn't help but shake my head, a wry smile tugging at my lips. "Oh, Em, you have no idea. And frankly, I'm not prepared for the alcohol poisoning that comes with it."
Emmett frowned, clearly puzzled by my comment, but Jasper's eyes lit up with understanding – drinking games and melodrama.
"Trust me," Jasper said, cutting off any further questions from Emmett with a look, "Anya has a... unique way of dealing with certain situations."
Emmett shrugged, still looking a bit confused but not pressing the issue. "Well, whatever works. Just make sure Edward doesn't lose his mind over this, okay?"
"I'll handle it," Jasper assured him, his gaze flicking back to me with a small, knowing smile. Just as they turned to leave, he came back and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and whispered in my ear, "I'll be back to continue this later."
And then two of them took off into the night, leaving me standing there near the counter with my wine glass.
Well, no point in letting good Chardonnay go to waste I thought as I took another long sip.
A/N: 'ben voyons don' is a Quebecois french curse that roughly translates to 'what the fuck'
