Title: Verum Quod Eventus
Chapter: 05. Concupisco
Author: stolenxsanity
Characters/Pairings: JasperxEdward
Rating: M/NC-17
Spoilers: None; AH/AU

Summary: Jasper has a fated meeting one night that finally allows him to let go. But, will it only be temporary? Originally written for the "Tattward and Inkella One-Shot" Contest. OOC. Slash. JxE

Disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters belong to SMeyer, Verum Quod Eventus belongs to me.

A/N: I'll save the rambling stuff until the end since I'm sure you all just want to get to the story. There'll be some important stuff in the final A/N, though, so don't miss it. All my love and thanks to subtlepen, naelany, and gypsysue for their help getting this chapter all squared away.

Now, as you were …

"We always long for the forbidden things, and desire what is denied us." Francois Rabelais

[JPOV]

The roads were fairly empty as I drove back to post, images of the previous night and early morning reeling through my mind with every blink. I hadn't expected anything to happen when I'd gone to see Edward, convinced that he had wanted nothing more than a fuck buddy when I wanted - no, needed - so much more than that. I was still shocked at just how wrong those assumptions had been and just the memory of his words, along with his actions, set my entire body aflame with desire. As one hand gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white from the pressure, the other sat atop the gearshift, fingers loosely curled around the smooth surface out of habit as I tried to fight down the urges that Edward had awoken in me.

Soft music filled the open space around me in stark contrast to my tumultuous thoughts – scents, sights, sounds, feelings – flooding my mind. I hated that I had to leave, that I'd had no other choice this morning but to wake up when Edward's alarm had sounded while he stayed in that bed, his face flooded with indecipherable emotions and eyes hooded with sleep. Missing work wasn't an option, though, and even if I could call in sick, I'd still need to make the drive back to post and go to the clinic. It just didn't seem worth the hassle, or the cost of gas. At the same time, though, that fact bothered me. I wanted to stay there, with Edward, enveloped in the serenity of the moment and asleep in the soft, warm confines of that space, his space. Blinking rapidly, I focused on the road in front of me, the light traffic that surrounded me, the lightening of the sky on the horizon as the sun peeked out over the mountains in the distance, but my mind was filled to capacity with thoughts of Edward and the time that we had shared.

Our kisses had turned heated, frenzied, as we tried to lead each other to the bedroom, tables and various inanimate objects making our escape louder than was necessary as we both silently refused to slow down or break apart. As my back once again made contact with the wall, Edward's body crashed into mine, his eyes ablaze with need as he attacked my neck with his lips, teeth and tongue. His hands ran a constant circuit from my chest to my abdomen, fingers lightly tracing the waist band of my jeans, before sliding back up. With what I'd come to recognize as his signature - instant erection causing - smirk, Edward slowly backed away, leaning into the wall opposite me and brushing those long, dexterous fingers through the tousled strands atop his head. My gaze was locked on those digits as they disappeared in his hair and I swallowed thickly, wanting to feel them on me. Edward's eyes were bright, glinting in the harsh glow of the apartment's unnatural lighting as his tongue peeked out between his kiss-swollen lips, teasing me as every single one of my nerve endings buzzed for his touch. My eyes searched his, flickering back and forth, as my tongue mirrored the movements of his between my own lips, aching for his taste before I pushed myself forward, acting on instinct, spontaneity, and pushing aside my rigid life of structure. My hands immediately went to his hair, tugging at the strands there, replacing his, as my mouth attached itself to the soft, pliable flesh of his neck. The skin there tasted of fresh sweat, and I groaned out loud, hot breath meeting the dampness that I'd created and causing Edward to tremble slightly against me, his own moans vibrating from deep in his chest and into the room.

"Jesus, Jasper," Edward moaned, clutching at my shoulders and pulling me against him, our bodies aligned perfectly against each other. Blunt nails dug into my back, stroking and scratching as Edward turned his head to the left, his gaze meeting the inside of my forearm, the new colors etched into my skin striking and vibrant. I shuddered as I felt his tongue sweep over the design, tracing the lines with the metal that pierced his tongue. I whimpered – fucking whimpered – at the sensations that act caused and grasped his hair tightly in my hands. Turning his head toward mine, I captured Edward's mouth in a searing kiss and nipped at his lower lip before tugging sharply on the ring that passed through it. A low growl emanated from Edward's mouth before he had me turned around and pinned, his knee between my thighs. My head collided with the unforgiving wall at my back, the dull thud reverberating around the room.

I was brought out of my memories by the sound of a horn blaring, alerting me of the changing light and the fact that the hand I'd previously held the gearshift with was now in my lap, pressing against my, once again hard, cock. Shaking my head of the thoughts, I released the brake pedal and eased back into traffic, my hand immediately moving to grip the gearshift once more - a habit that was hard to break even though I was driving an automatic - and tightening with the physical exertion I needed to stay in the present. It wouldn't do me any fucking good to get into an accident while trying to get back to post, to work. With a quick glance at my watch, I breathed out a sigh of relief at the knowledge that I had timed everything correctly and would arrive back at the barracks with enough time to shower before heading to work, hopefully without running into anyone.

Arriving at Schoffield barely twenty minutes later, I pulled my wallet from my pocket and flipped it open to my ID card so that the guard on duty could check it as I nervously tapped the steering column, my eyes averted, while I waited for him to let me through. Illogical as it may have been, I couldn't help but think that he would know where I'd just come from, who I'd been with and what I'd done. By the time I'd parked my car and shuffled into my room, still painfully hard, my entire body felt like a live wire as the nervous energy coursed through me.

With about a half an hour left until I was due at PT, I grabbed a towel and jumped into the shower, steadying myself with the curtain rod above me. As the warm water washed over me, I picked up the shampoo, pouring a liberal amount in my hand before washing my hair. My mind spiraled back to the way Edward's hands had felt mere hours ago as he did the same thing. Groaning, my eyes clamped shut in an effort to block the persistent images that taunted me. Leaning against the tiled wall, I silently reminded myself that I needed to be at work and I didn't have time to think about Edward, the way he touched me or the way his bare body felt against mine. Apparently, my brain - or dick - didn't receive that particular memo, though, and the fan-fucking-tastic night played through my mind like a movie reel as I stood beneath the spray of water, desperately trying to regain some sort of control.

Collapsing onto the soft mattress of Edward's bed, I pulled him down with me, our lips instantly melding together as he straddled my hips, his forearms resting on the bed beside me. His hips shifted and rolled above me, creating some much needed friction between our bodies and heightened by the feel of the rough denim between us. Edward moved down my body, fingers fluttering over bare flesh as he reached between us to unbutton my jeans. My hips bucked eagerly into his hand. I moaned at the mere thought of skin on skin and my own hands clenched into tight fists at my side, battling the urge to plunge my fingers into his hair. Looking down at Edward, another groan escaped my open mouth at the sight of his half-naked body hovering over my own and the way his jade eyes, darkened with lust and desire, bore into mine.

"Breathe, Jasper." Edward spoke, his gaze never leaving mine as his mouth curved up on one side into a smirk that made me want to push him over and onto his back, reversing our current positions. I felt his tongue tracing concentric designs across my abs, every muscle in my body strained and rigid as the wet warmth moved lower. Edward worked to remove my jeans, sliding the stiff denim down my legs and causing my cock to spring free. Lowering his face, I felt, more than saw, him gently kissing the tip before encasing it in the heavenly heat of his mouth. A broken whimper escaped from deep within my chest as the compulsion to grasp onto Edward's silky locks won out, fingers gripping tightly as I tugged at them.

Ice cold drops rained down on my back, shocking me out of my memories and back into the present. With fumbling hands, I managed to twist the knobs along the wall and shut the water off, muttered expletives falling from my lips. Somehow, despite the jolt to my system, the nearly constant erection I'd had since meeting Edward hadn't abated but with little time before I had to be a work, there wasn't much I could do about that. Just thinking about spending more time with him was enough to make my dick twitch. I wrapped a towel around my waist after drying my hair and body and made my way back to my room to get dressed. As I retrieved a pair of boxers and my ACU's from the closet, my mind wandered once again to the previous night.

The feel of Edwards silky lips moving down as he captured one of my balls in his mouth, his tongue rolling it around gently before he sucked on it, caused me to moan loudly. His hands ran down my hips and grasped onto my thighs as he tilted my body upward, before moving his hands to my ass and spreading my cheeks. I felt his tongue swipe across my entrance several times, and then he penetrated me, causing my hips to buck as he fucked me with his tongue. My pants and moans filled the room as I rocked into him, totally lost in everything this man did to me.

The cotton sheets were tangled around my hands as I clenched my fists while Edward continued. The need to touch him was overwhelming. I whined softly as his tongue left me and I felt the vibrations of his chuckle as he licked his way up my body, recapturing my cock in his mouth. Automatically, my hands flew back into his hair as I writhed beneath him, the tip of my erection hitting the back of his throat repeatedly. Pulling him up my body, I captured his pouting lips with my own before flipping us onto our sides and spinning around. Without hesitation, I wrapped my lips around Edward's straining length as he resumed his efforts.

The sounds of panting, moaning and sucking filled the room as we climbed our way to our mutual release.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The rest of my work day continued in much the same manner and, by the time I'd returned to my barracks that evening, I was beyond exhausted from the mental strain it had taken to keep my body in check. As soon as I walked through the door of my room, I headed straight for my bed, collapsing face first with my face buried in the soft pillow. I wanted to call Edward, or even go and see him again, but I knew that I couldn't, that our physical interactions had to be saved for the weekends only. An annoyed grunt escaped my mouth as I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. Before I met Edward, I'd been perfectly content with the state of my personal life and, while that was a far cry from as happy as I knew I could have been, being alone and forced to hide who I was for the sake of my job was a sacrifice that I was willing to make. In the span of two days, though, all of that had changed and I was perilously close to throwing everything I'd worked so hard for away.

"Well, well, well … look at what the cat dragged in."

Turning my head to the side, I barely managed to suppress a disgruntled sigh as I looked at James as he stood in my doorway, a smug smile on his face.

"What do you want?" I questioned, eyebrow arched and much too annoyed to be civil.

"Come on, Whitlock; is that any way to greet a friend? I didn't see you around much this weekend so I thought we could catch up." Watching as he stepped forward, I rolled my eyes and sat up, leaning against the wall with the heels of my boots resting at the edge of the bed. Even though I would have much rather kicked James out, told him to leave me the hell alone, that course of action would have only spurred him on more and I couldn't afford for him to get any more suspicious than he already was.

"Now," James continued once he'd made himself comfortable at his usual spot, reclined on the office chair. "Where have you been the past few days? I know that I'm hardly around on the weekend but you? You're always here, except for Saturdays when you go off and do whatever it is you do with Alice. So," James shrugged as his words trailed off, a contemplative look taking over his face. "I'm just curious. Did you finally ditch that –"

"Don't even think about saying it," I stated firmly, cutting off the insult that I'd known was coming after having heard it more times than I would ever bother counting. "Every time you want to talk, you always resort to insulting Alice. I don't understand why you two hate each other so much when you've barely spent any time together at all." It annoyed me, the way that James spoke about and treated Alice. I may not have felt about her the way that she did about me, but I still loved her and still felt incredibly protective of her. Even though she responded toward James in much the same way, she'd at least tried to befriend him at first, only becoming snarky and condescending when all her attempts had proven futile.

Huffing slightly, undoubtedly upset at the way I'd cut him off, James crossed his arms over his chest before righting the chair, his head tilted to one side as he watched me. I couldn't help the way I fidgeted under his scrutiny, my fingers curled in toward my palm as I clenched my hand into a tight fist before releasing the hold repeatedly. James had always been perceptive to a fault and that scared me. While I did want to be with Edward, in every way possible, I wanted it to be on my terms alone.

"That still doesn't answer my question, though. Where the hell did you disappear to yesterday and where were you when I got back Friday night?"

Even knowing what James was fishing for, I couldn't help the internal cringe and recoil. I was aware of the fact that most men discussed their sexual encounters freely, as if they were inquiring about the weather or something else as equally mundane but it wasn't as if I could tell him where I'd really been. Oh, I went to dinner with Alice Friday night and eventually ended up falling into bed with a hot tattooist I met barely an hour later. Coincidentally, that's also why I didn't come back last night. Oh, and did I mention that this tattooist happens to be a guy, as well? You wouldn't believe the things that he can do with his tongue …

I couldn't help but snort at the thought and I caught the look of confusion that flickered across James' face before he composed himself, eyeing me warily. "Something you want to share with the class?" Though his tone was amused, I'd known James long enough to realize that he was getting frustrated with my deflections and the lack of a real answer. Letting my head fall back, I tilted my face upward and closed my eyes before answering. "I really don't want to talk about this right now, or ever for that matter because, honestly, it's none of your damn business what I did," or who I did it with. The words had been at the tip of my tongue but I bit them back, forcing them to remain unsaid, silent. It would only serve to add fuel to the proverbial fire and I was already fanning the flames. My eyes remained close as I listened to James mumble something under his breath before the chair squeaked and the sound of his heavy footsteps followed him out the door.

The remainder of the week went by in a similar fashion; I'd spend my days at work trying desperately not to think about Edward and completely incapable of controlling the reaction my body had to just the memory of the things that we'd done. My nights were spent trying to avoid James, even when I felt his questioning glances or blatant stares, and trying to get in touch with Alice. I still hadn't heard from her since Saturday and as each day passed, the worry that had started to fester in the pit of my stomach grew. I knew that she was upset with me for almost forgetting our usual weekend plans and I couldn't do anything but apologize, which I'd done. I was also confused, though. She'd all but pushed me toward Edward, telling me to be myself and be happy and once I did what she told me to do, she started singing a completely different tune.

By the time Friday rolled around, I was wound so damn tight and horny as all fuck that I could barely concentrate at work. The day passed in a blurry haze and, for once, I was thankful that I was stuck in an office as opposed to being in the field. My current state of mind would have made anything more than answering phones and doing paperwork nearly impossible. Edward and I had spent the entire week trading the occasional text message but had lacked any real opportunity to talk because one of us was either at work or James was around so, once my day ended and I was safely ensconced inside my car, I retrieved my phone and called him, hoping that he wasn't with a client and would be able to talk, even if only for a few minutes.

Thankfully, Edward answered on the second ring and I felt my lips curving upward at the sound of his voice against the backdrop of what sounded like a buzzing tattoo gun. "Hey baby," the words slid off his tongue so naturally, as if we'd been together for longer than a week that was spent, primarily, apart. I didn't even need to see him to know that he was smiling, I could hear it, feel it through the phone line despite the distance that separated us physically.

"Hey," I responded my tone light and relaxed as I shifted around in my seat, getting comfortable. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" It was hard for me to believe that, less than a week ago, I'd been stressing over whether or not what Edward and I had shared was just a one-night stand for him and now, here I was, calling him like it was a normal, everyday occurrence.

"Hmm, no, just cleaning the gun right now and waiting for my next client to arrive."

Our conversation continued on for a few more, blissful minutes before a soft beep alerted me to an incoming call. Asking Edward to hold on for a minute, I brought my hand down and glanced at the screen, lit up as Alice's name flashed across the screen. Surprised, I almost dropped the phone in my haste to raise it back to my ear. The sound of Edward humming softly to himself as he waited for me to return almost made me forget that Alice was on the other line. Almost.

"Edward," I started, my tone betraying the nervous energy that coursed through my body. "It's Alice calling in on the other line … can I give you a call back after I talk to her?" The line had already beeped twice and I knew that I was pushing it not answering right away but I hoped that, if she got sent to voicemail before I could click over, Alice would pick up when I returned the call. Thankfully, it didn't take Edward long to respond, before he disconnected the call and I pressed the send button once more.

"Alice," her name rushed from my mouth in one, relieved breath. I'd missed her over the past week, unaccustomed to going without talking to her for so long. "I'm glad you finally called me back." Pausing briefly, I brushed my free hand over my face roughly before sighing. "I – I'm sorry, okay. It was really shitty of me to forget about something that we've been doing for so long and it wasn't intentional, I swear. I'd never hurt you like that, at least not on purpose." The words just kept flowing from my mouth in a non-stop steam of apologies that I felt I owed her. "I just – I got caught up in the moment … it's never been like that for me, like it was with Edward and, fuck, I didn't want it to end. That doesn't mean that I don't care about you, though, because you know I do. You're my best friend, you keep me sane and I couldn't have done this – any of this – without you." Swallowing thickly, I finally stopped speaking as I realized that I hadn't given Alice a chance to say anything and, at the quiet I was met with, I quickly checked to make sure that the call hadn't disconnected.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I turned the speaker phone on so I could watch as the timer counted up, assuring me that there was still someone on the other side of the line. "Ali, sugar, are you still there?"

"I'm here, Jazz, I was just making sure you were done rambling over there." The laughter in Alice's voice lifted a weight off my shoulders and blew out a relieved breath at the fact that she didn't seem to be upset. That still didn't explain why she'd been avoiding my calls all week but it hardly mattered anymore. "Anyhow, I just wanted to check in, I guess. I'm sorry I haven't been answering your calls all week but the bakery has been busy so I feel like I've been working non-stop."

Exhaling a shaky breath, I forced a laugh as well. After spending the past five days worried that Alice was pissed at me for something that she'd instigated, encouraged even. "So, we're good?" The question may have been redundant, but I needed to ask, to know for sure that she wasn't holding the slip-up against me.

"Of course." Alice's retort was quick and I could practically see her rolling her eyes at me as she responded. "Last weekend was – I don't know, I was just worried about losing you to someone else. I do want you to be happy but you're my best friend so I kind of overreacted." I listened as Alice continued to speak, offering her own apologies for her behavior the previous Saturday when, amidst her enthusiastic reassurances, an idea came to me. Alice was one of the most important people in my life – the first person to know and accept me for who I was despite my flawed line of thinking. I wanted her to be able to accept Edward, too and to understand that regardless of what happened between him and me, she would still be my favorite girl, my only girl, though not in the sense that I knew she would have preferred.

Tuning back into the conversation, I caught the tail end of what Alice was saying and my eyes widened almost comically before I could respond. "You went on a date?" I teased as I watched my co-workers exiting the building across from me, getting ready to head back to their own lives for the weekend. "My little girl is all grown up now."

"Oh, shut up," she grumbled, though the chastisement was only half-hearted. "I figured that, well, it was time, you know? I still love you and I've held on to this ridiculous notion that somehow we could be more – that I could, I don't know, turn you straight or something equally mortifying – when I knew that it was an impossibility."

While I knew it wasn't completely my fault, that I hadn't led her on or given her a reason to think that we would ever be anything other than friends, I couldn't help the way my heart clenched at her words, immediately taking on the blame and shouldering the guilt. "I'm –"

"If you're going to say that you're sorry, Jazz, you don't need to," she cut me off, the change in her demeanor obvious as she let out a little sigh. "I'm not. I'm glad that I met you, that I got to know you and that I get to call you my best friend. You can't help that you don't see me the same way that I see you and I get that, okay?"

There was a short lull in the conversation as I processed her words, idly wondering what I'd done to deserve to have someone as selfless as Alice in my life. "Alright, Ali, I'll stop apologizing though, I do love you and that's not going to change just because of a guy." Pausing, I contemplated the idea that had sprung up in my mind just a few minutes prior. "You know," I started after a moment, "I was wondering if, maybe, you'd like to get to know him, too? He'd – I'd like –" Huffing in frustration, I dropped my hand from squeezing the steering wheel. "I really like him and you're my best friend, your opinion matters so I'd like it if you two could become friends as well."

"Okay," Alice countered, the singular word drawn out and fading off into a quiet sigh at the end. "So, what are you trying to say?"

A part of me wanted to tell her to forget that I'd mentioned it, smack myself in the head for considering the option and making our normal Saturday date into something else altogether. It wasn't as if I could take back what I'd said, though, so I soldiered on with the hope that Alice wouldn't become upset at my suggestion. I wanted her to be happy that she'd be able to interrogate Edward like any good friend would be and I hoped that her protective nature would supersede any hurt that could possibly be caused by bringing another person into our longstanding tradition.

"I was – would you mind if Edward hung out with us tomorrow? I know that it's supposed to be our day but –"

Alice cut me off before I could finish my thought once again and I exhaled a relieved sigh at her acquiescence, thankful that my request hadn't been met with a flat-out refusal or any kind of stubbornness on her part. We continued talking for a few more minutes, mostly catching up on the things we'd both missed since we'd since last seen each other, until I realized that I'd been sitting in my car for close to an hour. As my stomach rumbled, making its need for food known, we ended the phone call with promises to meet at our usual time the next morning.

I returned to the barracks room a few short minutes later, after having called Edward and relayed the following day's plans to his voicemail. As I walked in, through my door and out into the common area, I noted that it was quiet and that the door to the room across the hall from mine was wide open and dark. Knowing that James wasn't around quelled my nerves about what was to come in less than twenty-four hours immensely and I immediately headed toward the kitchen and began to forage for food. There wasn't much in the way of choices but I just didn't feel like ordering out again. The roller coaster of emotions that I'd felt over the past week, and even in just the past couple hours, had moved to a point way past mere exhaustion and I knew that it'd be an early night for me. I always looked forward to the weekend, ever since I'd joined the military, as the two days respite from work was more than welcome by the end of the week but, now, I had even more of a reason to feel that way.

After eating, I took a quick shower, rushing through the normal routine and thinking of anything and everything I could that was of the non-sexual realm. Self-gratification just wasn't as gratifying as it'd once been now that I'd discovered what it could be like with Edward anything – everything – else was sub-par at best. That knowledge was a double-edged sword, though, as I was now constantly aroused. I groaned out loud as I realized that in my avoidance, my thoughts had gone right back to where I didn't want them to be and my hand quickly darted out to turn the water from hot to cold so I could finish up and get to bed. Exiting the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist, I made my way back to my room and got dressed quickly before falling into bed and grabbing my phone. I smiled when I saw a text message from Edward waiting to be read in my inbox and navigated through the various menus to retrieve it. My eyes greedily devoured the words that Edward had typed out in between clients and, checking the time, a disgruntled sound escaped my mouth. He'd asked that I call him back if I was available before his next appointment which had already started, unfortunately. However, Edward had ended it on a positive note, confirming the plans for the following day and expressing that he couldn't wait to see me as well. The reminder that this relationship of sorts wasn't one-sided bolstered my mood and, with a quick apology for receiving it too late to actually call, I returned the sentiment before setting my alarm and settling in to my bed, surprised at how quickly sleep claimed me.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Miraculously – and a first for a weekend morning – I woke up early, before my alarm went off and with enough time to go for a run first. I dressed in the typical PT uniform hastily before rushing out the door, deciding before I'd bounded down the stairs that I would stay on post instead of heading to the park like I had the previous Sunday. The work out was invigorating and helped ease the residual nerves that still lingered and, once back at the barracks, I showered and dressed hastily, pausing only to peruse my closet like a girl going on her first date before I managed to shake off that line of thought. I was certain that, while Alice had a tendency to make a big deal out of what I wore on my downtime, Edward wouldn't particularly care either way as long as I showed up. Finally deciding on a simple pair of jeans and a vintage band t-shirt, I paced around the room as I waited for Alice to call and let me know that she'd arrived and was waiting for me at the gate. The ringing of my phone startled me from my thoughts and an uncontrollable grin appeared on my face as I noted the name before answering with a be right there before ending the call and dropping the device in my pocket. Surely, Alice would be annoyed that I'd hung up on her but, hopefully, she'd be even happier that I wasn't dawdling like I would on any other day. Usually, when she called to let me know that she'd arrived, I'd just barely gotten out of bed so this was definitely a break from routine and one that I knew she wouldn't really find reason to complain about.

As I pulled out of the gate and spotted Alice's bright yellow car with her tiny frame perched on the hood. I grinned widely as I pulled up beside her, rolling down the window.

"Ready?" I asked, suddenly feeling giddier than I already was. "Are you following me or are we riding together?"

Shifting forward, Alice tilted her head to the side as she smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I think I'll follow you, just in case. I don't want to be stranded if you blow me off again." She laughed as if joking but I could feel the underlying tension radiating off of her body. The complete one-eighty in her demeanor made me question whether or not this was a good idea. Taking a deep breath, I nodded before rolling the window back up and exhaled softly as I shifted into drive again. As we drove, my eyes continued to travel to the rearview mirror while my thoughts remained stuck on Alice's sudden shift in behavior. She claimed that she was fine last night, that we were okay, and she'd sounded fine on the phone. In person, though, I could see the strain it took for her to maintain the outward calm. Alice had never given me a reason not to believe her in the time that we'd been friends and it was hard to think that she would start lying now. It was possible that I was projecting my own anxieties, making trouble where there wasn't any to be found.

Parking, I exited the vehicle and stretched before making my way to where Alice stood waiting and, like was normal for us, offered her my arm in greeting. "Are you sure you're okay, Ali? That we're okay?" I asked as she linked her arm through mine and leaned her head against my shoulder. "I mean, you said that you were last night but earlier you just seemed kind of … I don't know, like you didn't really want to do this."

"Don't worry that pretty little head of yours, Jazz. You'll end up with a head full of gray hairs if you don't learn to relax soon." Nodding in acknowledgment of her words, my steps slowed as we neared the entrance to the restaurant and I opened the door, ushering Alice inside ahead of me.

"If you're sure, I don't want you to be uncomfortable." Cringing as Alice reached up and pinched my cheek, I patted the top of her head in a playfully condescending manner. "I also don't want you ogling him when I can't, which actually brings me to my next question … why did you choose The Blue Moon? Turtle Bay is a little out of the way, isn't it?"

With a look that mirrored my own, Alice snorted while shaking her head. "Of course it's a little out of the way. Would you rather be some place in town where anyone could just walk in? I know that you guys won't be all over each other in public but I'd think that you, of all people, would appreciate the privacy. So what if it's out of the way and on a resort? That just means that most of the people around here are tourists – visiting – and couldn't care less what, or who, you do."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her even though I knew she was right and appreciated her foresight. "For the record, little miss know-it-all, I haven't technically done him yet," was my quick and witty retort which earned me a pinch in the arm for my efforts.

"Semantics, Jasper, semantics."

With that, our conversation drew to an end and I turned to take in the interior of the restaurant. As my eyes wandered, I felt Alice stiffen beside me, her body leaning further into me while the arm that had been linked through mine moved to wrap around my waist in one swift, smooth movement. Unsure as to what had caused the sudden change in her yet again, I turned my head toward her, the question on my lips dying as I spotted Edward walking out from a side alcove that I hadn't noticed when we'd first entered the establishment.

I watched a beatific smile light up Edward's face as soon as his eyes found mine, his shoulders relaxing into a more natural pose as he moved toward us. Alice hadn't let up on her hold since before I'd spotted Edward and I could practically feel the tension radiating off her body. She finally cleared her throat and stuck her hand out, posture stiff and unyielding as she greeted Edward with a murmured hello and a tight nod. For his part, Edward appeared completely nonplussed by her less than enthusiastic greeting but politely returned the gesture. An awkward air descended after that as Edward and I alternated between looking at each other and taking in what was around us. To anyone else, it probably looked like a young girl introducing her boyfriend to another family member, what with Alice's arm still wrapped around me and I snickered softly to myself at that thought. If they only knew.

Grabbing hold of Alice's hand with my own, I moved her arm so that it hung between us – noticing the flicker of a frown that passed across her face before she composed herself – and waved my free hand toward the hostess stand a few feet away. "Shall we?" I asked, letting Edward walk ahead as my gaze landed on his ass and the way the dark blue denim molded to him just right. A shiver ran down my spine as my thoughts wandered, unwittingly, to the last time that we'd been alone together. The disgruntled sound that came from my side pulled me back to the present and I smirked as Alice shook her head at me, muttering under her breath and dragging me along behind her. I hadn't even noticed that we were being led to a table and I noted that it, just like the restaurant itself, was a little out of the way, off in a corner and slightly secluded.

Releasing the hold I had on Alice's hand, I reached around and pulled a chair out for her, waiting until she was seated before moving to take my own. Noting that Edward was still standing as well, I hesitated for a moment, uncertainty no doubt clear on my face as we looked at each other. A loud, annoyed huff from Alice broke the staring contest as she tugged on my belt loops, forcing me into a chair. I'd never experienced this side of her before and it both worried and frustrated me; her mood swings were going from one extreme to the other about as quickly as I could blink. She kept saying that she was okay and, if I hadn't been convinced before, I certainly wasn't now. It was almost as if by insisting that she was fine, she was really trying to convince herself. Sighing, I internally shook my head, scolding myself for thinking that this would be a good idea, for believing that just maybe my best friend would be – could be – happy for me.

Looking around the table, my gaze flitting back and forth between Alice and Edward, I found myself wondering if it wouldn't be best to just call it a day. Despite her words, Alice looked like she'd rather have been anywhere but there, with me and Edward. The look of concentration on her face quickly morphed into one of determination before fading into something that resembled cheerfulness when she noticed me looking. A small smile flirted across her lips before she turned her attention to Edward. He cleared his throat, shifting to get comfortable as he looked at me, grin in place, before turning toward Alice.

"It's nice to see you again, Alice," he stated with a smile, placing his hands on the table. Unwittingly, my eyes dropped to his fingers and I swallowed thickly before shaking my head at myself and my one-track mind.

It was like watching a tennis match as my gaze went from one to the other and I barely managed to suppress a groan. Alice smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes and appeared off somehow as she looked Edward up and down. "You too … Eddie," was her prompt response, the emphasis on the nickname that she'd taken it upon herself to give him slightly venomous. Never, in all the time that I'd known Alice, had I ever felt the need to yell at her – really yell at her – until now. I wasn't sure what had come over her, what she was playing at, but it worried and frustrated me at the same time.

Once again, the volley was served and I turned to Edward, awaiting his reply and watching as he coughed and sputtered with an incredulous look on his face. Recovering quickly, though, a smug, self-assured look appeared on his face as he arched an eyebrow in question. "How have you been?" The words were cordial, much more civil than I would have been had our roles been reversed.

Smiling sweetly, I felt more than saw Alice lean closer to me as she crossed one leg over the other beneath the table and shook out the cloth napkin before spreading it over her lap. "I've been busy, actually. With June being the beginning of summer and the onset of wedding season, the bakery's had a lot of business lately so I've been spending a lot of time working." A short shrug followed this statement as Alice brushed a hand through her hair while idly tapping the table in front of her.

"That's a good thing, though, right?" Edward asked after a moment, genuinely interested in getting to know Alice – something that I was both relieved about and thankful that at least one of them was making an effort here.

"For the bakery, yes. Doesn't do so much for the social life, though … right, Jazz?" Startled, I tore my eyes from Edward's profile to look down at Alice's hand as it rested on my forearm, patting it appreciatively and almost possessively. Confused, I looked between her and Edward repeatedly, unsure how to respond to her question.

Fortunately – or maybe unfortunately – Alice didn't give me time to answer as her grip on my arm tightened and she turned back to Edward, head tilted to the side with what most would construe as an adorably innocent look on her face. Considering how this day had gone so far, though, I couldn't help but dread whatever it was that was about to come from her mouth next.

"So, Eddie, how about you? Pierce any interesting places lately?"

Before I could intervene and attempt to steer the conversation to more neutral territory, the waitress arrived, pen and pad poised to take our orders. Breathing a sigh of relief, I glanced down at my menu before deciding that it's breakfast and you can't really go wrong with typical breakfast fare. Placing my order of bacon and eggs, I extracted my arm from Alice's hold and leaned back in my seat as I took a deep breath. Even though I'd wanted nothing more than to spend time with Edward this weekend, regardless of what we were doing, Alice's antics throughout the morning had me wishing that I was anywhere else – even if that meant being back at the barracks with James breathing down my neck. As the waitress retreated, heading back into the kitchen, I tuned back into the conversation and felt myself smirking at Edward's reply.

"I guess the answer to that question would depend on your definition of interesting," Edward stated, his voice challenging as he began playing with the piercing at the corner of his lower lip, the movement seemingly subconscious and habitual but completely fucking hot at the same time.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Alice leaned forward, elbows resting on the edge of the table, hands clasped beneath her chin. Her eyes were alight with mischief as she opened her mouth only to close it again before a wide grin overtook her face. "Have you ever done a frenum ladder?" She asked, apropos of nothing. "I never quite understood the appeal of those but, then again, I'm not a guy …"

As her words trailed off into a slight shrug, I was torn between dragging Alice to the bathroom and making sure that Edward was alright as he coughed and sputtered. My eyes were wide as I stared at Alice, mouth agape before I managed to collect my thoughts, shaking my head in consternation. "What the hell kind of a question is that?" The words were out before I had a chance to consider them and anyone, even if they were simply walking by, would have been able to hear the subtle anger and annoyance in my voice. Gesturing around the restaurant a bit wildly in disbelief that she would go there in such a public setting, I huffed out loud before letting my arm fall. "Have you noticed where we are right now, Alice? Or how about the fact that there are people around and that's hardly the kind of thing you talk about at breakfast, in a restaurant, for crying out loud."

"What?" Alice responded with a smile as she turned her entire body so she faced me. "I was just asking the man a question, Jasper. I meant if he'd ever done the piercing on someone … that's what he does, isn't it? Piercings and tattoos?" Pausing, Alice smirked slightly as she raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow in my direction. "Besides, it's not my fault that your mind went straight to the gutter. I'd think that you'd want to know the answer to that question, too. Though, maybe not necessarily about the frenum ladder specifically but, still …" Glancing around the room, a furrow appeared in the middle of Alice's forehead before she met my gaze once more. "Not to mention that I highly doubt anyone here even knows what a frenum ladder is and that's only if they could actually hear us which I'm sure they can't, so chill."

Patting my shoulder, Alice made to return to her previously line of questioning as I ran my hands over my face roughly, muttering under my breath before raising my voice so that she'd be able to hear me. "That's not the point, Alice. This is neither the time nor place for that particular conversation; what the –"

"No, Jasper, it's fine," Edward cut me off as he regarded Alice with a smirk of his own as the muted clicking of metal-on-metal reached my ears before stopping suddenly as he cocked his head to one side. "To answer your question, Alice," he started, his words slow and measured. "I haven't had any clients request a frenum ladder recently but I have done them before, amongst other things. Why do you ask?"

"I just never understood the … appeal, I guess." I could see Alice fiddling with the ends of the tablecloth that hung just out of sight before she straightened up as if she'd come to some sort of conclusion. "Amongst other things, huh? Like what, if you don't mind me asking?"

Shaking his head from side to side, I watched as Edward licked his lower lip while giving Alice an amused grin, "I think I asked you a question first."

Narrowing her eyes, Alice glared across the table at him as her lips twitched in what was either restrained amusement or anger before letting out a sigh and rolling her eyes. "I was just curious as to why anyone would get something like that there and thought you might know, all things considered. I'm not a guy so, obviously, I don't know how any of … that … feels but I'd imagine that it has to hurt. Plus, how the hell do you practice safe sex when you have one …" Her words trailed off as she frowned, deep in thought, "don't those things … catch … or something?

Shrugging in a nonchalant manner, Edward took another drink from his glass of water before answering. "I don't know from experience because I don't have one and I've never been with anyone who does but … it supposedly heightens the pleasure." As he twirled the glass back and forth in his hands, my eyes zeroed in on his fingers and I bit down on the corner of my lip until his voice drew my attention once more. "I couldn't tell you why anyone would get one either, except possibly for aesthetic purposes. It's not as if I have long, drawn out conversations with my clients while I have their dick in one hand and a needle in the other so I've never asked."

Raising my head as I tried to hold in my laughter as Alice snorted inelegantly beside me, I met the wide-eyed gaze of the waitress that stood just behind Edward's shoulder and felt my shoulders shaking with the restraint it took to keep from causing any more of a scene. "Sorry," I finally succeeded in getting out, ducking my head down as Edward turned around to see who it was that I was apologizing to.

"Shit," Edward cursed under his breath as he ran his hand through his hair repeatedly before offering his own apology to the younger woman who still hadn't said or done anything except stand there gaping at us. Her reaction sent Alice off into another fit of giggles which snapped the woman out of her trance-like state. Stepping forward cautiously, she began setting our plates down, repeating the orders back to us from memory before she scampered off in the direction that she'd come from. Meeting Edward's gaze, I couldn't stop myself from grinning at him, finding his obvious embarrassment oddly endearing, before turning to look at Alice.

"What was that you said about no one being able to hear us?" I asked.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The remainder of our breakfast continued in much the same manner; Edward and Alice went back and forth, trading barbs as Alice seemingly did everything she could to elicit some kind of negative reaction from Edward. Along with her pointed, borderline embarrassing questions, she continued to touch me as much as she could, though the actions were designed to appear as if they were unconscious. Under any other circumstances, I wouldn't have cared; it wasn't as if this act was old for us as we had to appear, at least publicly, like we were a couple – a happy couple at that. I could tell that Edward wasn't sure how to interpret the familiarity that Alice was displaying as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat from time to time, glancing back and forth between the two of us with a pensive expression on his face. It wasn't until her hand that had been fluttering in the air to illustrate a point in some story she was telling landed on my thigh and squeezed it that I realized what she was doing and my jaw, along with my fork, dropped as I whipped my head around to look at her, scrutinizing her face. Whether or not she realized that she'd been caught, she did nothing to give herself away and, shaking my head, I pushed away from the table and stood up.

I'd wanted Alice and Edward to meet, in some kind of official capacity, to get to know each other because I planned on – somehow – spending more time with Edward, building whatever it was that existed between us. I wanted them to be friends or, at the very least, civil toward each other but Alice had done everything she could to stake her perceived claim on me, driving home the point – over and over again – that she could touch me and no one would think or look twice. She was supposed to be my best friend, one of the few people that I could depend on while I was stationed here and, to her, this was just some unequal pissing contest with me as the prize.

Muttering some half-hearted excuse, I made my way out to the terrace and leaned against the railing as I stared out at the waves crashing against the reef. After a few minutes of quiet, I felt my eyes fall close as I retrieved the pack of cigarettes from my pocket and lit one, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. To say that I was disappointed in Alice would have been an understatement; the fact that she'd lied to me so easily, more than once, made me wonder if I knew her at all like I thought I did. Even knowing that she'd harbored an unrequited crush on me throughout the time that we'd known each other, the last thing I'd expected was for her to stoop this low, to purposely try and sabotage this … relationship with Edward.

As I watched the last of the cigarette burn down to the filter, I let the butt fall to the ground and squashed it with the heel of my shoe before looking over my shoulder. I could just barely make out the top of Alice's head as she moved about, carrying on a conversation with Edward in my absence, and I groaned out loud. Leaving the two of them alone together probably hadn't been a good idea but I'd had to get out, get away from her before I said or did something that I'd regret later. Rubbing my hands roughly over my face, I began walking back inside, dreading the reception I would receive once at the table. Surprisingly, I was met with nothing but silence as I approached, watching as Edward handed the waitress his credit card before standing from the table. His apologetic eyes met mine before he glanced toward Alice and shrugged before tucking his wallet back into his back pocket.

"I'll meet you out front?" The statement came out sounding more like a question and I nodded, still not trusting myself enough to speak without blowing up.

I waited until Edward was out of hearing range before I rounded on Alice, standing across the table from where she was still seated, her fingers wrapped tightly around her glass. Leaning forward, my hands resting on the undoubtedly expensive table cloth, I blew out a frustrated breath of air. "What the hell was that?" I hissed, mindful of the other patrons around us. Holding up a hand as she opened her mouth to speak, I shook my head sharply, not willing to listen to any of her excuses just yet. "You lied to me, Alice. Lied. To my face. I can't believe that you – that I – " Cutting myself off, I straightened up, unable to even look at her anymore. "I'm leaving. Edward has to be at work soon, I need to finish making the arrangements for my sister's visit and you obviously need to figure out what's more important to you." Stepping away from the table, I shoved my both hands in my pocket and I turned away, glad that Alice had decided to drive herself because I wouldn't have been able to sit in such a confined space with her for any extended period of time after the stunt she'd just pulled.

As I walked out the door, blinking against the sunlight, I spotted Edward leaning against the side of my car. Despite my anger toward Alice and all that had transpired, the sight of him, arms crossed face turned upward, caused a smile to break out across my face as I strode across the parking lot. Alice's car was parked a few stalls down and, halfway to my destination, I looked over my shoulder to see if she was following me out. Not spotting her, I sighed out loud, clenching my hands into fist and letting them uncurl slowly before facing Edward again. By the time I reached him, he'd stood up straight, a soft smile on his lips.

"Hey," he murmured, glancing over my shoulder for a second before meeting my gaze. "Is everything okay?" I could see his hand twitching at his side before he lifted it and ran it through his hair, tugging at the strands a bit until they stood up even more than normal.

"I … don't know," I responded with a sigh as I moved to stand next to him. "I'm sorry about that, by the way, I don't know what's gotten into her. She said that everything was fine but I should have known that it wasn't, especially since she spent all week avoiding or ignoring my calls after what happened last Saturday." Shrugging, I looked to Edward from the corner of my eye. "She didn't say anything to you when I walked out, did she?"

Feeling Edward stiffen beside me, I let out a disgruntled groan as I cursed under my breath. "I'm sorry about that, too. I saw her – sort of – from where I was standing and I didn't mean to leave you with her like that … I'd just had enough of whatever game it was that she was playing. I swear she's not usually like that."

"It's fine," Edward responded as he shifted so that he was standing in front of me instead of beside me. "And don't worry about what she said either; it was nothing that I couldn't handle." Watching his lips move, I licked my own in response as I unconsciously leaned forward. I wanted nothing more than to kiss him, to reassure the both of us that everything really was fine, as Edward had put it. A car door slamming a few stalls away startled me and, in my surprise, I jerked backward, catching myself on the trunk of the car.

"Fuck," I mumbled as I glanced around, smiling at the older couple that walked by us, their arms wrapped around each other. Returning my attention to Edward, I swallowed thickly as he took a step closer to me, his hands bracing himself on either side of my body and effectively trapping me between him and the car. The smile that lit up his face caused my breath to hitch as he leaned closer, pressing his chest against mine lightly.

"All in due time," he whispered against my ear as a stifled moan fell from my mouth. Pulling back slightly, his lips grazed my cheek, lingering at the corner of my mouth before he moved away completely. Glancing down at his crotch, I smirked as I realized that he was in the same state that I was – hard as steel – and I brushed the back of my hand against the very pronounced bulge.

"I'm counting on it," I stated a bit smugly, still amazed that I elicited that particular reaction from him. "I think, though, that if you don't get going soon we may end up getting arrested and you're going to be late for work."

After a few more parting words, both of us knowing that if we didn't get on with it we'd end up in a precarious position in a public place and my secret would be out of my hands, I watched as Edward walked to his car before getting into my own. Thoughts of what Alice had done were back at the forefront of my mind as I sat in silence for a moment. Shaking my head rapidly to clear it, I decided that I would deal with her and whatever her issues were later, when I wasn't as upset as I was now. Starting the car, I let it idle as I grabbed my phone from my pocket, noticing the envelope icon on the screen that indicated a text message was waiting. I hadn't felt it vibrate earlier, or heard it ring and, as I pressed the OK button that would allow me to retrieve it, I muttered a string of obscenities before dropping the device and throwing the car into reverse.

J ~ Changed our flight. We arrive tonight. Sorry I didn't get to call you first. ~ R

A/N: *ahem* I know that it's been fucking months since I last updated (I'm too scared to count exactly how many it's been) but RL has been bearing down on me since late last year. I won't go into details since a lot of it is really personal but I will say that, after getting out of the hospital this past December, I lost someone really important to me, someone that meant the world to me, in January. It was tough and, really, I'm still grieving. I do apologize for taking so long to get this story updated, especially since it's very important to me, but I hope you can all understand that my priorities are where they need to be in regards to RL and everything that's been going on. I will do my best to update as regularly as possible and am going to try and get a few more chapters written up so that I have a backlog before the next update.

That being said, I have started a new slash!fic that, so far only three people are clued in about. It came to me while I was trying to force finish this update a couple of months ago and, well, I love it. I will not be posting it, however, until I've got most of it written just so that there isn't a repeat of my update fail.

Anyway, let me know what you think of this chapter (if I have any readers left after my disappearance) and I look forward to reading your reviews.

ACU's: Army Combat Uniform - http:/en[dot]wikipedia[dot]org/wiki/Army_Combat_Uniform

Turtle Bay/The Blue Moon: While the Turtle Bay Resort is a real place (on Oahu's North Shore), The Blue Moon is fictional, though based off of the restaurants that the resort offers.

Concupisco: "To Covet." With this title/the meaning, I was trying to convey Alice's feelings toward Jasper and how threatened she feels by Edward.