6.

"You do realize you deliberately misled your family just now?" Jasper asked.

Edward didn't bother to reply.

"They all think we were at your place when we were attacked," Jasper went on, shaking his head at the man next to him. "They think it's all thanks to your fancy-ass security system that we survived!"

Again he paused, and again Edward chose to remain silent, his focus entirely on the road ahead.

"I was the only other person in the room who knew that was a lie." Jasper paused. "If Alice had been home, she'd have known."

Finally, Edward nodded. "She would've."

Jasper let another mile or so pass before speaking again. "You're hiding the extent of your abilities from Carlisle? Is that what it is?"

Edward gave a small sigh. "Not from Carlisle. From Carlisle and Esme, both. They've been my parents for over a century, and since I turned human, they've been… extra protective."

Jasper stared at his profile for a few seconds, waiting for more. "What, that's it? That's all you're going to give me?"

Edward spared him a rueful glance. "We'll be home in five minutes. Let's talk over dinner, ok?"

Jasper tried not to let his thoughts run away with the picture of sheer domesticity Edward's words conjured up, but he mostly failed. Fortunately, they really weren't too far from home, so he didn't have much time to stress over whether or not Edward was listening to his thoughts. The two men unsnapped their seatbelts and stepped out of the car in near synchronicity that made them both smile.

Jasper followed him silently to the door, covertly checking on any unusual/vampiric activity in the vicinity. There was nothing.

"Alright," said Edward, once they were inside. "I'll cook. Ask whatever it is you want to."

"Okay," Jasper said, following him into the kitchen and leaning comfortably against the counter from where he could watch. "I guess what I'm wondering is, why you'd lie about our location tonight. Whether it happened here or outside a bar, the Volturi were out to attack you."

Edward nodded. "I know they're going to worry about us anyway. They've been anxious since I moved out, even though they never said anything or tried to dissuade me. But at least they know I have excellent security at home. Knowing that gives them a sense of relief. I know it sounds irrational, but that's how their thoughts work. They worry a lot, the two of them."

"But when Benjamin comes to, he's going to tell them exactly what happened," Jasper pointed out.

Edward hummed in agreement, tossing the vegetables he'd just chopped into a pan. "He'll be out cold for most of tonight. Judging by the state of his thoughts, it will take Carlisle a little while to get through to him. We should be safe till morning at least."

Jasper chuckled. "Dude, that's stupid."

The corners of Edward's lips quirked. "Dude, I know."

"And what about the others? Alec and Jane were Aro's favorites. There'll be repercussions," Jasper said.

"I know," Edward said. "That was another reason to go to Carlisle tonight. The Volturi aren't going to challenge him directly. After what they did to Benjamin… Carlisle will take care of them." He shrugged. "Besides, it was fun baiting the Volturi the last few weeks, but it's time to wrap this mess up."

Jasper gave him a long, considering look. "It is a mess, huh?"

"You don't think it's messy?" Edward asked softly, not quite meeting his eyes.

Jasper blinked, not quite sure what they were discussing any more.

"Anyway," Edward said, arranging the vegetables and grilled fish onto one large plate, "You're right, by the way. I haven't told Carlisle about my powers, or the way I've been working on improving my control over them."

"Why not?" Jasper asked, picking up one of the two forks and spearing some vegetables. "You know he'd want to help."

"That's exactly why." Edward cut a big piece of the fish and held it up to Jasper's mouth. "You need more than veggies, Jasper," he chided. "Look, I moved away because I needed to do some thinking. Needed to figure myself out, I guess. And it's been a long time coming. It isn't the same as when I went my way as a vampire. This is… more complicated."

Jasper chewed thoughtfully. "You're so secretive all of a sudden. The last few months, were you trying to avoid me till you were better at shielding yourself?"

Edward smiled. "Maybe."

Jasper tried to let that hurt settle while he stabbed at a piece of carrot.

"It's not the easiest thing being transparent in front of someone who holds so much power over you," Edward continued.

Jasper bit his lip and tried not to read too much into his words. "Dude, what power? All I could have done was maybe amplified your annoyance when you couldn't hold the shield long enough. That's hardly reason to stay away from me."

They ate in silence for a while, occasionally fighting over the same vegetable or piece of fish. Edward won the last morsel, then he leaned over and fed it to Jasper.

Gathered the cutlery, Edward stood. "Why don't you go shower while I clean up?"

Jasper nodded and took a step towards the bedrooms, then stopped.

"Hey, Edward," he said haltingly. "You fed me."

"Yeah," Edward agreed.

Jasper didn't quite know how to take that conversation forward, so he just nodded again and kept walking. He felt a little shaken by all the little shifts in Edward's behavior towards him. He'd definitely been flirting all day. He'd got him clothes and cooked for him, and fed him. He was taking care of him. He'd kissed him. There was no way Jasper had imagined that. It had really happened, and now the question was, how to make it happen again.

Still distracted, Jasper tossed his clothes into the hamper near the door and stepped towards the shower. The hot tub caught his attention, and he decided to try it out. It wasn't till he was actually soaking in the wonderfully hot water that he realized his bathroom didn't have a hot tub.

But Edward's did.

Almost as though he'd summoned him, Edward walked into the bathroom.

Jasper stilled. There was no way he could come out of the water now. But there was nothing to panic about yet. Edward knew he had scars. As long as he didn't come any closer, he wouldn't be able to see much more than he had seen already.

"You don't mind me using your tub, do you?" Jasper asked with an awkward laugh.

"Not at all," Edward replied. Then he started walking towards him, casually unbuttoning his shirt. With each button, Jasper's heart beat a little faster. When Edward shrugged his shirt off and tossed it aside, Jasper visibly jumped.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Edward asked with a wicked glint in his eye.

"What? No, I mean, pass me a towel and I'll get out of here. You take your time," Jasper fumbled his words, a tsunami of anxiety pouring from him in uncontrollable waves.

"Hmm," Edward looked to the side, where the towels were stacked neatly on a shelf next to the sink. "No."

"What do you mean, no?" Jasper protested.

"I don't want to give you a towel," Edward said pleasantly. Then he removed his shield, and Jasper blinked at the surge of feelings that came at him. It was warmth, and affection and desire. It was passion and lust and care. It was everything he'd ever thought about Edward, but never really thought to receive.

Shaken to his core, Jasper tried to think through the barrage of emotion that swirled around him.

"Yes, it is exactly what you think it is," Edward said, reading his confusion loud and clear. "But it's up to you. If you really don't want this, I'll leave right now." There wasn't much of a perceptible change in his voice or his expression, and his emotions were entirely too steady for the conversation they were having. Jasper was suddenly annoyed.

"Wait!" Jasper's voice was commanding, the exact opposite of his usual demeanour around Edward. He pushed himself up to stand, uncaring of the water that splashed around him, uncaring, for once, of the scars that littered his body.

Edward watched unhurried and unperturbed as Jasper stood there for a moment, water sluicing off his body, droplets clinging to his imperfect, scarred skin, to his perfect abs and muscular thighs. Edward took it all in calmly, accepting every inch that Jasper chose to reveal. His expression remained open and accepting, his enjoyment evident in the slight darkening of his eyes and minuscule twitch of his lip.

Jasper saw it and he knew.

It was going to be the night he gave in.

He'd wanted Edward for such a long time that resisting the pull had become second nature. They'd both been very aware of the desire that always lingered at the edges of their clashes in the beginning. But when they'd become friends, it had mellowed into affection... or at least that's what Jasper always told himself. They spent so much time together, and they were an excellent team. His feelings for Edward deepened steadily, till he knew there was no going back. He had resigned himself to a platonic existence with the man he loved, but of course Edward had gone and shaken things up. The last few months he'd barely seen Edward, and he'd missed him, dammit!

So now, when he'd got the chance to come close to him again, he wasn't going to fight it any longer. He took one step towards Edward, and then another. Edward didn't say a word, though Jasper knew he had heard his thoughts. He kept walking, until they were close enough to touch. Then he stepped even closer.

"Too close?" He asked, looking Edward straight in the eye.

Edward smirked and shook his head.

Jasper smirked in response, and closed the gap so they stood chest to chest. "Too close?" He asked again.

Edward raised a hand and slowly brushed Jasper's hair off his face. His fingers trailed down his sharp jaw, teasing the slight scruff there, then following the line of his neck, skirting around his collarbone and then over his shoulder. He traced the raised scars on Jasper's back so tenderly, then teased his sensitive sides, making him quiver in anticipation. With each stroke, he effortlessly rewrote the meaning of the marks Jasper had abhorred for most of his existence.

Jasper was so lost in wonder at the look in Edward's eyes that he almost lost sight of where that hand was actually going.

"Fuck!" Jasper gasped, hands grabbing instinctively onto Edward's arms, hips colliding in an unintentional, but supremely satisfying grind.

Edward grinned wickedly and squeezed the handful of ass again. Jasper still wasn't prepared, but his cock had caught on to the agenda. Of course, Edward noticed how completely Jasper was losing his mind, so he helped him out by pulling him in snug to his body and kissing him.

The moment their lips met, Jasper's mind seemed to calm. His body relaxed and his hands loosened their death grip on Edward's arms. Gradually, the gentle seduction of Edward's lips drew Jasper farther and farther away from his fears and he gave in to his yearning as well.

As their hands restlessly but thoroughly mapped each other's bodies, learning the contours of their skin, Edward's remaining clothes became a real annoyance. Clawing at the button of Edward's jeans, Jasper mumbled incoherently. Edward fumbled around Jasper's fingers, then ended up distracting him by stroking his cock instead of undoing his jeans like he should have done. It was chaotic and frustrating and beyond satisfying when they finally managed to rid themselves of all the evil clothes that were trying to come between them.

The moment Jasper took Edward's cock in his hand and stroked it firmly, his green eyes went hazy with passion. With an obvious effort he broke away from the spot on Jasper's neck that he'd been sucking on, grabbed his hand and tugged him back into the bedroom.

Somehow Jasper remembered to make his legs work... and then Edward was pushing him onto the bed and his hands were on Jasper's thighs. Jasper was torn. He wanted more kissing, but the sight of Edward's mouth so near his cock was beyond alluring. But there was something else that was far more urgent at the moment.

"Jade, wait," he whispered. Edward paused and looked up at him questioningly. "Come up here a sec."

Once again, Edward complied. Jasper leaned in for a soft kiss, but pulled away before Edward could demand more. Jasper couldn't help but smirk at how needy Edward was turning out to be.

"Before we do any more of the fun stuff," he winked and Edward gave him a hot, impatient look. "You should know I've never done this with a guy. So we should probably talk about that, yeah?"

Edward nodded, but it was obvious he didn't see why they couldn't have had this conversation later, like after he'd spent some time sucking on Jasper's cock.

"And more importantly, I'd like to make it clear that this is serious for me. We're dating, and we're together, and you can't disappear on me for months or weeks or whatever. We're a team, you get that?"

Edward huffed and actually rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to be your boyfriend, Jasper."

"Wait, what?" Jasper tried to sit up, but Edward pushed him back onto the pillows.

"I don't date," Edward continued. "It's a waste of time. We should just get married. I've been in love with you for years. I didn't think you were ever going to put me out of my misery, so I moved out and holed up here. But you gave me a clear look into your thoughts for the first time in years when you turned up yesterday, and I'm not wasting any more time."

Jasper had a lot to say to that, but he started with the most important thing. "I love you too."

The rest of their words were muffled by their lips and tongues, and it was a very long while before they bothered about anything beyond the two of them. In fact, it was nearly dawn when Jasper finally pulled his thoughts back to the Volturi situation.

"Hey Jade," he whispered, "What're we doing about the Volturi if they turn up again?"

"Carlisle will do his thing, and if they still show up, we'll just have to do our thing," Edward murmured.

"The way I feel right now, I could blast an entire Volturi army and turn them into blithering idiots with a couple of concentrated love beams," Jasper commented, running his fingers through Edward's crazy hair.

"Yeah? You sure my dick didn't turn you into a blithering idiot?" Edward laughed, tugging him closer. "Concentrated love beams..."

Jasper reached up and bit at Edward's lip. "Wait till I actually do it. They'll be roaming around with fucking heart-eyes for days." He yawned, burrowing closer.

"Sleep, Jasper," Edward said with a gentle kiss on his lips. "We've got a busy day tomorrow."

The End