Disclaimer: All things Twi belong to S. Meyer.

The song names belong to their respective owners. This story belongs to me.

I wrote this for SorceressCirce's Bday-thingy our lovely ahizelm put together.

You can find it here: http://happybirthdaycirce (dot) blogspot (dot) com

Once more, happy bday Circe! *hugs*

(I hope the rest of you like it as much Circe did. ^^)

-xxXxx-

Come Together

EPOV

The pain I could have taken. The changes to my body...not so much. My way of looking at the world had been affected by my crooked spine and the way I limped because my pelvis was affected by said spine and my leg hurt most of the time while I was growing up.

Scoliosis. Nine letters that turned me from a normal kid with some seriously strange growing pains into a patient. I was lucky though, they caught it in time and made me wear that god-awful brace-thing from when I was fifteen to when I turned eighteen. I mean seriously, being locked inside that thing most of the time for three years? Only because surgery wasn't something my parents would consider for the risks.

Screw the risks, they didn't have to deal with being wrapped in that fucking thing! It was like...a cast around my torso. From the top of my chest to my waist, keeping my spine straight while I grew slowly to my final height. Luckily they caught it when I was already almost full grown, somehow my growth-spurt made me show the symptoms more clearly and my dad, being a surgeon, noticed them in time.

I should've been thankful, right? No. I was pissed off at the world. The world made me look different, the odd kid that skipped school because of pains, limped when he managed to appear, was bullied because he had to wear his brace all the time. The bullies were too scared to touch me though, that was a plus. They knew that if my health took a turn to worse they'd have hell to pay. That and my vicious little sister Alice. She was...nuts. Protective like a rabid chihuahua.

When we moved to Forks, to a medium-sized house in a medium-sized neighborhood, I was sort of happy for a fresh start. We got there after New Years so we had the spring in the new school, time to get to know people a bit and be more social...right. I was still an outsider and people realized quite fast that I wasn't going to be social, even if they tried to get to know me. I just didn't want to, nor did I have the skills.

Sure I had one year of school left, but at least early that summer I was finally deemed healthy enough to not have to wear the brace anymore. I had no more pains and aches, which seemed almost surreal, and the limp was gone too if I didn't do anything too straining. All they said was to stay healthy, exercise in moderation and not do anything reckless that might injure my bones.

First thing I did was to go to Seattle and get tattooed. The second thing was to drive in my car way too fast and reckless along the highway while blasting music and singing along. Third thing was to get drunk the first chance I got, which meant I needed to wait for a week for my parents to go on a weekend trip somewhere in California. They left me and Alice at home because we were "old enough to behave responsibly in a small town like this one".

Alice vanished to her friend Bella's house, the girls were pretty much similar with their tastes of music and movies. They met when I went with Alice to see some random comedy and Bella happened to be seated next to Alice, they hit it off immediately. Good for them, not for me. Now I had two overactive teenaged girls in the house when I could hardly stand one.

The whole getting drunk thing was nice enough, a release of sorts I suppose. Since I had the whole house to myself I could pretty much do what I wanted, in addition to the drinking. So I went wild and watched the Godfather-trilogy while repeating the dialogue out loud and drinking scotch.

Next morning as I nursed my first ever hangover, I happened to look at the yard and noticed a moving truck in the driveway of the next house that had been empty so far during our stay in Forks, Washington.

I spent the rest of the day spying on our new neighbors. They seemed to have two kids around my age. Both were tall blondes, a girl and a boy. Both were stunningly beautiful and I felt so inadequate it wasn't even funny. Well, at least I had something nice to look at. Even more so when it appeared that their house had the same layout as ours, though a mirror-image.

The smaller bedrooms weren't both upstairs like they usually were in houses like these. I had chosen the one upstairs and Alice the ground floor one when we first moved in. I noticed that the boy next door picked the top room and his sister the one under his. The mirror image-thing had our windows right across both of our lawns and the low hedge in between. Apparently we shared a preference with the rooms at least.

In the evening I was tired of watching them and plopped down on my bed. Alice wasn't at home yet so I was still alone. It was nice. I was all relaxed and then suddenly the most annoying song ever began to blast from a stereo somewhere too close.

I jumped up just to see the blonde girl next door dancing around her room, occasionally passing the window. She seemed to be unpacking her stuff and having fun while doing it. But the song, the Beatles, seriously?

Suddenly I smirked a bit evilly and went to open my window, placing the speakers I had connected to my laptop on the sill. Then I countered her All You Need Is Love with my favorite band.

I blasted Over Now by Alice in Chains and she stopped in her tracks. She came into the window, looked up at me and flipped the bird. I laughed out loud and she went to change the song.

She Loves You got countered with I Stay Away.

Ticket To Ride took a bit of thinking and then I played Got Me Wrong.

She tried to be nice with We Can Work It Out but I killed her with We Die Young.

When she tried to counter that with Can't Buy Me Love I silenced her with Them Bones, for personal reasons she'd never understand.

It took her a while to decide on Penny Lane but I just turned the volume up for Down In A Hole.

When she finally managed to play my favorite Beatles-song, Come Together by chance, I showed her two thumbs up and she smirked at me. It wasn't until then that I realized her brother was in his room, watching me with a small smile on his face.

I had never put any thought on who I'd like to hook up with. I had no experience at all because my health-issues had condemned me to be deemed unattractive. I was surprised when it came to me that the sister did nothing for me with all her dancing in her little top and shorts that I hadn't even realized she wore before now that I thought of it.

All it took was one smile from the brother and I blushed like a girl.

JPOV

We moved to that house in the beginning of the summer.

Mom got a better job in the small town of Forks and since Dad had his job in Seattle but could drive to Forks for weekends, somehow they ended up dragging me and my sister to Forks...yay. Or not.

Rosalie was more bitchy than ever. She had her little social circle in Seattle and she wasn't going to let go of the crush she had on some jock called Mike. I think it was Mike...or maybe it was...Riley? Yeah, it was Riley this week I think.

Anyway.

We were dragged, Rose kicking and screaming and me walking myself without any dragging, to Forks.

Mom and Dad decided to save some money and did the driving back and forth themselves. Rosalie and I agreed to take our stuff to the new house first and get settled in if they got the last truckload from Seattle and we didn't have to do anything but help with the carrying the furniture in when they'd get to Forks.

So there we were, both in our own rooms, fetching the last boxes labeled with our names from the hall every now and then when we got some others unpacked. The rooms were a bit smaller but the view was better. It had been a parking lot in Seattle. Here...well...

The house next door seemed to be quite like ours and when I heard the battle of bands start, I sat back in my room and listened.

Who ever it was in the next house, he or she had a great sense of sarcasm. And good taste in music too. I had gotten used to my twin sister's obsession with the Beatles but this person in the other house hadn't. It was funny.

I sat away from the window, trying to get a peek of the person but couldn't see. Not until the end, when he came to take the speakers down and grinned at Rosalie.

He was stunning.

The sun was shining low over the forest surrounding our houses and managed to barely hit his window. It was enough to light his hair to strange, bronze flames, a color I had never seen before. His grin was crooked and he looked...divine.

I couldn't help but smile and then I realized I had walked closer to the window to see better. He saw me smile and smiled back a bit shyly, but then retreated away from his window and I was left with a frantic heartbeat and a thirst to know more about this godlike creature next door.

Later that evening there was chatter from yard of the house next door, sounded like teenaged girls and I cringed. I didn't like those, I could hardly stand my sister. Had I been straight, then maybe I would have had some understanding or will to try to understand but since I wasn't...no. Just...no.

Rosalie ran up to my room and informed me that she was going to go meet the girls and I should come with her, no objections. Great.

When my sister got something in her head and wanted me to obey, I would. No, I wasn't a mindless zombie or a marionette. I was smart enough to know when I wasn't going to be bitched at for days because of something trivial like this. Besides I was bound to meet those girls soon anyway. The town wasn't that big, after all.

I checked my black and gray camo-shorts and my black tank top and made sure I wasn't all dusty from the boxes. Rose was wearing something slightly too flirty and I seriously hoped the guy next door wasn't into that type of girl. Especially my sister. Oh hell...I might meet him... Damn it.

Suddenly I was nervous.

I followed Rose out of our house and into the neighbors' yard. The girls were a tiny sort of spiky-haired ball of energy that talked all the time, and a pretty, doe-eyed brunette who seemed a bit shy but had the most warm smile ever.

The girls chattered a bit, I learned the energetic one was called Alice and she lived in the house. The calmer of the two was her best friend, Bella.

"Have you guys eaten anything?" Alice asked and we shook our heads in unison.

"Nope, our parents should be back from Seattle with the next load of stuff and we were supposed to eat then." I said and that's when my cell went off in my pocket, blasting Smells Like Teen Spirit.

"Our mom's ringtone." Rose told the girls who giggled.

"Hi mom. What? Okay...how long? Sure, we're getting to know the neighbors. Yeah, okay, drive safely. See you tomorrow." I disconnected the call and sighed.

"Truck broke down when they were leaving from Seattle so they're getting it repaired and will leave in the morning. She told us to get something to eat, so I think pizzas all around?" I asked the three girls and I had a feeling Rose was quite impressed by how naturally I was acting.

I was a bit of a loner, really. I was rarely interested in people but I was trying to make an effort here, damn it.

"Sure, let's go find the take out menus and ask my brother what he wants to order too." Alice said and began to bounce her way to their front door.

"Eeeeedddieeeee...." she chimed towards the stairs that led upstairs when we got inside.

I was too interested in the layout of the house, a perfect mirror image of ours which was slightly disturbing, to notice him before he walked down the stairs in some worn out jeans with busted knees and a t-shirt in his hand. Topless. Kill me now. Please.

"Quit the noise, Ali. Oh, hey." he said and looked kind of embarrassed somehow. His eyes darted from his sister to me and then Rose who smiled at him beautifully (poor guy had no idea she had fangs hidden behind her perfect smile...) and then back at me. That's when he blushed again. Because of me??

"Edward, this is Rosalie and her twin brother Jasper. Their parents got stuck in Seattle and we need to feed us all so what sort of pizza do you want?" she asked, dancing to the kitchen and waving her little hand for us to follow.

Her brother turned to follow her, pulling his t-shirt on as he walked. I noticed a large tattoo on his back, over his spine. It was a black copy of his spine...but it was somehow crooked. I could tell from the brief glimpse I saw that it didn't go along his spine so there had to be some sort of explanation to it.

There was no way I'd ask though. Too personal. Then something clicked, vaguely. He had countered Can't Buy Me Love with Them Bones. Bones...spine... What was the name of that medical condition where your spine might turn out crooked? Our cousin had mild case of that and had to wear some sort of thing around her torso for a year or so while growing up. S...I'm sure it started with S. I had to do some research when I got home.

We were looking at the take out menus of the local pizza place when my phone began to ring again. I didn't catch it at first because the beginning of the song is so calm. When I registered The Pretender by Foo Fighters playing and fished the phone from my pocket I was already frowning at the loudness of the song and especially the person who it belonged to.

"I gotta take this. I'll have that one." I pointed out the pizza I wanted to Alice who was marking the choices to a notepad.

The last thing I heard before I walked out of the house was Rosalie.

"It's his boyfriend..."

It pissed me off. Alec wasn't my boyfriend, hadn't been for a month or so now and frankly Rose's bitchiness because Alec had chosen me over her was getting a bit old.

"What?" I answered ever so eloquently.

"Well hello to you too, baby." Alec answered in a slightly offended tone. Like I cared.

"Not your baby. What's up? I'm in the middle of moving, ordering pizza and getting to know the neighbors, so speak." I snapped at him.

"Fuck, Jazz, no need to act more bitchy than your sister. Just wanted to know where I'll send the rest of your stuff?" he asked, now angrily, and I sighed and told him the address to the new place.

"Thanks. Really... Let's just...try to be civilized? Please?" I asked him, feeling exhausted suddenly.

"That's what I've been trying to, Jasper. Really. Tell your family I said hi and...have fun or something." he managed and I was actually smiling a bit by the time I got off the phone.

I walked in and the girls looked at me knowingly.

"For Christ's sake, Rose!! He hasn't been my boyfriend in ages. Stop saying that. Besides, it's not my fault he fancied me more than you. Apparently you're too bitchy for him." I smirked and Edward grinned from the stool he was sitting on behind the breakfast bar.

"Fine, bloody hell...you're paying for our food." she snapped and I shook my head.

"Hey, come see my room!" Alice said suddenly and she and Bella tugged Rose with them to the other end of the house.

"Nice one...it seems like we're paying." Edward said and ran his fingers through his messy hair and made me swallow once.

"So...I liked your music war earlier." I said, just to say something and Edward smiled.

"Yeah...it's funny that she kept attacking with the Beatles. Whole battle with two bands."

I could tell he was a bit shy, not in the way I was though. I was pretty much okay with people if I wasn't forced to be social against my will. Edward on the other hand...he seemed somehow...like he wanted to just stay in the background. All the time.

"How old are you two?" I asked him and he told me he was eighteen and Alice was two years younger. Bella was apparently Alice's age and Edward described her as 'a part of the furniture'.

"We're turning eighteen in two weeks." I told him and he nodded.

"Must be strange to have a twin...I mean I can hardly stand the chihuahua but at least I can say she's just a sister instead of being from the same litter." he grinned and I had to laugh at his description of his sister.

Edward was tall but walked a bit hunched. Alice was tiny and Bella was in between. Me and my sister were both tall, Rose was sort of model-ish and I suppose I was too but I was never comfortable with the idea of being photographed and surrounded by strangers with next to nothing on. My sister though...she had done some modeling and wanted to do more but our parents insisted her getting an education first.

We chatted about music and stuff until the pizzas arrived and we each paid half since we thought Bella's should be paid too.

The evening was quite nice and I was glad Edward didn't seem bothered about the fact that I had had a boyfriend.

Of course Alice and Bella tried to pry about my lovelife and I gave them the short version, trying not to pay attention to the fact that no matter how nonchalant Edward seemed to be, he was listening with interest.

"I've known I'm gay since I was fourteen. Our parents say it was just something that fate decided on to even up the score. After all Rose already gets enough attention from the guys as it is so..." I smirked and got thwacked on the arm by my sister.

The others were laughing and Bella was the first one to ask if our parents really had said that.

"Oh, trust me. They're worse than we are, what Jasper told was a nice version. Really sort of...hippie and all that crap. You'll see. They're modern day hippies." Rose sighed.

"That's funny, our parents are Dr and Mrs Cullen. They have a status and even though they are really laid back, hippie isn't actually...their cup of tea..." Edward chuckled a bit and I had a feeling things would turn interesting in our little neighborhood.

-xxXxx-

EPOV

When the Whitlocks moved next door our lives became more interesting. Mom Whitlock was working at the post office in town and Dad Whitlock would come over for weekends to spend quality time with his family. Apparently he was the head of some charity organization in Seattle. He and my mom had more in common than anyone had thought, as my mom was really good at organizing any sort of gathering, usually concentrating on working for charity organizations.

Dad didn't seem to have time to care one way or the other, but he wasn't against the hippies next door which was good. The little veggie garden Mom Whitlock made in their garden made our mom jealous because she couldn't make anything but houseplants grow and flourish.

The parents became friends after a few weeks, but it was slower for them than us kids.

The trio of girls began to hang out which meant they were out of my way and Jasper's too. We had some of our taste in music and movies in common and I soon learned that he was really funny and even if he wasn't overly social, he was a nice person to be around.

The first time we officially met... When Rosie said the words 'his boyfriend' I froze inside. Somehow I had hoped he'd like guys but if he had a boyfriend... I knew I was ahead of myself but still... I wasn't even sure what I was, but I knew I was attracted to him and frankly it was more than I had ever felt to anyone else before.

I was so relieved when he told more about this ex-boyfriend of his. At least there wasn't someone right now.

During the first week we just...hung out when we happened to be outside at the same time but we didn't make any plans. That would have been weird.

The second week was sunny and I decided to take my parents' advice and get myself tanned for once now that I could. So I spent most of my days either resting inside or laying outside in the sun, listening to my iPod.

A few times when I turned around I was sure I saw Jasper watching me from his window. Might have been wishful thinking though...

These emotions were so strange. I was anything but comfortable in social situations. I was used to being the outcast and now I was suddenly faced with something I had no experience of. I could function when I knew what I was doing but when I was thrown into a new situation...nothing. I was panicky and frozen and...just...argh.

Our moms decided to throw a beach party at the First Beach for the twins. They were turning eighteen and that was enough cause for a celebration. Since my mom was the party organizer extraordinaire and Mom Whitlock was someone very enthusiastic and open, this might turn out to be a great party after all...

When the evening came, all of us, both families, including my dad who wasn't working for once, headed to the beach. We had agreed that the parents would just leave after nine and us kids could be there until three in the morning but not longer. That was gracious and I knew it had been Jasper and Rose's mom's idea to let us stay out so late. Or early. Whatever, I was happy for some freedom.

I had talked about it a lot with Jasper. Their lives had always been very free and they had been able to do pretty much what they wanted. It was just certain things their parents demanded of them, like not doing drugs, not having casual sex especially without protection and having good grades. If they did that, they could do what ever they wanted with their free time.

Myself and Alice on the other hand. We didn't get to do much, not that we wanted to. Alice was too young but she was responsible by nature. Of course her whimsical and energetic side took over occasionally but she never did anything reckless. I had my aforementioned reasons to be...me. So no, I didn't party.

But I wanted to tonight.

They had invited all our classmates and their parents and other people we all knew. Since my mom was all about equality for all and the beach was on reservation lands, the population of the rez had been invited too.

Alice and Bella knew some of the young people from there, they had met through mutual friends and such and I knew Bella had her eyes on some guy called Jake and she had been obsessing for days if he'd be there or not.

When we got to the beach I let out a low whistle. It was amazing. Bamboo torches everywhere, a massive bonfire in the middle. Tables for food and drinks and deck chairs and benches and...it was huge on the Forks-scale.

Jasper tried to hide behind my back when we got there and people began to congratulate the twins. Rosalie beamed in her lovely blood red beach dress and was happy to be at the center of the attention. Jasper? Not so much. I knew him well enough to know he was doing this for our moms. They had organized a huge party so he had to make an appearance.

He was soon tugged from behind my back to be introduced to half the town and at some point I saw him on the other side of the bonfire, mouthing 'help me' in my direction but I just smirked and ignored his pleas.

I grabbed a plate of food, some barbequed chicken, pasta salad and garlic bread before taking three bottles of beer, one for Jasper hopefully, and went to sit farther away from the bonfire, almost in the shadows of the evening.

Sitting on a large piece of driftwood I set down the bottles. I opened one and just sat there, staring at the sea, closing off the rest of the world and especially the party. I ate a bit and decided to leave some for Jasper if he managed to escape and then I just lounged on my comfortable wooden seat.

I heard his steps before I saw him.

"Here you are. Meanie. Left me all alone." Jasper said and tried to look stern but his words were good-natured, not really upset.

"I have beer and food though." I tried to make up for my misbehaving and he chuckled.

"That's good, I might just forgive you."

He plopped down next to me and took the plate while I opened the bottles for us.

"You know this is impressive. Your mom really knows how to throw a party." he said between bites.

"And yours know what kids need. I think our curfew has always been around midnight, not that we've ever really needed it." I grinned and Jasper laughed at that, shaking his head a bit.

"It seems so impossible to me... We've never had curfews and we lived in a proper city. We never needed them because we know what's expected and that things could change if we didn't stick with our end of the deal." he just said and I smiled.

It really was odd how differently we had been raised and how similar we were. We had been hanging out a bit, but somehow it was always very casual, like new mates hanging out for a short while before returning to our solitude which we both seemed to prefer most of the time. Yet we knew each other quite well already.

"So...Eddie..." he said in a slightly teasing tone and I swatted his arm but said nothing.

"Okay okay, Edward..." he smirked and I rolled my eyes. The late evening was getting pitch black now but the closest torch was shedding some light our way so we could still see each other.

"Yes?" I just asked and he smiled a bit, looking at the sea and not at me which puzzled me, because he was usually so open and honest with me.

"What are you? I mean...you don't seem to be interested in my sister but you aren't blind. That leaves me with the impression that you aren't attracted to girls. However, you haven't actually made a pass at me either." He spoke in a quiet tone and I must have gawked at him.

One other thing that was different in our families was being straightforward. Yeah...we weren't like this.

"I...erm...eh..." I tried to come up with an answer but my mind was drawing blank.

Not in my wildest dreams had I thought he'd be really interested in me. I had been harboring these strange little hopes and dreams in my head, but I had thought... I mean look at me! I'm the freak boy. So maybe I had gotten more tanned and maybe the tattoo made me interesting or something but I looked like nothing special.

Jasper on the other hand...he was...gorgeous. Male model kind of gorgeous and...yeah.

"So you're not interested in me then?" he asked and dropped his gaze to the sand, looking somehow hurt and disappointed.

"No...I mean yes...I mean..." I tried so hard to form a coherent sentence but nothing was coming out of my mouth.

I wanted to scream 'yes I want you so fucking much but I'm terrified because I have no clue what I'm doing' but all I could do was to look at him, probably with the famous deer in the headlights-expression.

"It's okay...I understand." he said and got up, leaving the plate and walked off before I managed to stop him.

I sat there until Bella came over with some hugely muscular native guy who she introduced to me as Jake and we were all polite and shit, even though it was pretty freaky that he was so...massive...and a year younger than I was.

"Edward, is everything okay?" Bella asked worriedly, noticing that there was something wrong about my expression.

"No...just go have a good party, please?" I begged her and she leaned up to Jake, whispering something and he nodded, taking off and Bella sat next to me.

"Edward...you know you're like a brother to me even if we haven't known each other that long, right?" she asked quietly and I nodded, sort of knowing what was coming next.

"I know you're not familiar with this stuff, but he likes you. A lot. And I've watched you and I know you like him too. So go find him and don't let him go before you can actually get the words out of your mouth." she smiled sweetly and got up from her seat before leaning towards me and kissing my cheek.

"Trust me, Edward. You two are easy to read to anyone but each other." And with those words she was gone - off to find Jake, I assumed.

Right. Go find Jasper. Tell him how you feel.

FUCK.

I got up, took the empty bottles and the plate and went to take them to the spot where we were supposed to drop the trash. Then I looked around but didn't see him.

It might have been half an hour or more for all I knew, I wasn't actually paying attention to the time when I sat there and maybe I was too late now? I walked around and realized the parents were gone. Hell...I must have been in my hiding place for an hour at least.

I found familiar faces from school everywhere around us. Alice was chatting with a guy called Eric, a really neat boy from her class. Maybe she was into him, I don't know. She smiled at me when I passed them.

Bella and Jake sat on a bench near the bonfire, deep in discussion it seemed. I soon spotted Rose, basking in the attention of a few native guys, being the princess of the party. I walked to her and the guys looked at me like I was some huge threat which was ridiculous in so many ways I almost snorted at them.

"Hey Rosie, seen your brother?" I asked and the guys relaxed.

She had a bottle of beer in her hand but didn't seem drunk which was good. I felt responsible of everyone who drank, so I wanted to keep an eye on at least the five people I could make sure got home safely, myself, my sister, the twins and Bella.

I didn't feel like partying anymore.

"No, not in a while. Did you lose him?" she asked and one of the native guys looked thoughtful.

"Hey, I think I saw him talking with Seth a while back. They went that way." he pointed to the opposite direction from where I had been sitting.

"Your brother is gay too?" One of the other guys asked Rose and she nodded, changing the subject.

I turned around, not sure which way to go. So this Seth was gay? The guy had asked if Jasper was gay too? Fuck!!

Did I manage to actually blow the only chance I might have? Seriously Cullen...you're outdoing yourself this time... Being a shy little virgin isn't an excuse to not be a man and own up to things that might change your whole life!

Getting pissed off at myself I walked towards the direction where Jasper and this Seth might be found. I think I knew who they meant. Seth was sort of pretty, not in a girly way though, I think he was a year or two younger than me and now that I thought of it, he could very well be gay. I had never seen him with a girl and even if he wasn't girly or anything, there was something...different about him.

Okay...let's see...

I looked around at the area where the torches carried their light and saw a few groups of people. Some were talking, a few couples were making out. But I didn't see Jasper or Seth. Fuck.

I decided to walk a little, to clear my head before heading home. I wasn't going to stay. Alice could take care of everyone for me. When I got away from the lights and walked along the shoreline, I was depending on the moonlight.

After a while I looked up and saw them.

They sat on a boulder, right next to each other and Seth's fingers were tangled in Jasper's golden curls. He was speaking in Jasper's ear and Jasper was smiling slightly. They looked good together. Both of them were perfect in their own way. They fit together, two people like them...what did I have compared to someone like Seth?

I shook my head in defeat and turned around to walk away.

"Edward!" I heard Jasper call me but I just shook my head, praying to what ever deity was listening that the tears wouldn't fall. Not now.

I heard the thump when he started after me but I was far enough already to get away when I started to run. For one thing this new, straight spine of mine was good. I could run properly now and I was faster than ever. Even with the limping of the stress I was putting on my hip I was getting away.

Luckily I saw a familiar guy at the little parking lot when I got up from the beach.

"Emmett!" I called out to him and he turned around to smile at me widely.

"What is it Eddie-boy?" he asked once I got to him and before I could explain he said "Hop in."

I did and without having to ask, he drove me home. We sat in his jeep in our driveway for a while. It was strange, even if we weren't really friends or anything, I had helped Emmett with his math assignments more than once and somehow he seemed to read me better than most people.

"Thanks...for the ride. And the silence..." I smiled a bit at him and he chuckled a bit.

"Nah, it's okay. I wasn't drinking and you seemed like a man possessed... Least I can do. If you talk to Rose, put in a good word for me." he grinned and I promised I'd do just that before I got out and waved him goodbye.

I walked into the house, realizing our parents seemed to be at the Whitlock house and got into my room easily, without anyone noticing. I sent a message to Alice.

"I'm at home. Okay. Don't worry. Keep an eye on the others . E."

After a few minutes she replied.

"I saw Jazz looking for you. He seemed frantic. What do I tell him? Think about this, Edward."

I thought about it. For maybe ten minutes I just laid on my bed and stared at the ceiling before sending another message to her.

"I wouldn't know what to tell him."

It took her less than a minute to get back to me.

"Then show him. Back of our garden, twenty minutes. Be there or I'll skin you alive. You're not fucking this one up, big brother."

"Fuck you too." I pressed send and after fifteen whole seconds my phone made a beeping sound. From Alice.

"3"

I do love my energetic little chihuahua of a sister but sometimes her bossiness makes me nuts...

I trudged downstairs, I couldn't bother with shoes since the grass was soft in the garden. I had my old pair of jeans on again, with a dark blue button up. I looked as good as I could. Made no difference, really.

Sighing I went to sit on the marble bench at the end of the garden. Someone had put one there, to accompany the long gone rose bushes someone else had neglected before our time. I wondered if they would be resurrectable somehow. I should ask Mom Whitlock, she might know.

After a while I heard a car and then steps coming towards the back in the silence of the night. Some sixties music was carrying to the garden from the Whitlocks' house. They were having a party of their own there it seemed.

Jasper walked to the bench and sat down but said nothing.

After a while of silence he spoke.

"Before we moved here I went online to this LGBT-youth's website. There is this messageboard where you can leave personals-ads. I left one to see if there were any gay people around me in Forks. Or anywhere near here, really. Seth answered it and we met once before I moved here. It was obvious we weren't compatible in any other way than to be friends." Jasper's tone was neutral but somehow I felt like he was trying to get me to understand without pleading.

"What you saw at the beach was him comforting me because you had rejected me." Suddenly there was hurt in his tone and I felt guilty for jumping to conclusions and generally having been an ass.

"I'm...sorry. And...I wasn't...rejecting you. I...I mean..." I mumbled and then exhaled, "Oh fuck it!"

"Jasper?" I asked him and he turned to look at me.

I swallowed once and did as my sister had told me to do. I leaned towards Jasper and kissed him, blushing so much he must have felt the heat from my cheeks.

His hands were suddenly on my arm and my shoulder, sliding to my hair as he pulled me closer. I had never ever felt anything quite like it before. I was suddenly hypersensitive about everything that was happening.

His lips on mine felt soft and when he opened his mouth a bit to lick my top lip, I gasped and my mouth opened enough for his tongue slip between my lips. It felt so foreign but exciting...in a good way.

Tentatively I opened my mouth more, realizing that my hands were around him too somehow, having instinctively taken their natural route there. My fingers tangled in his hair and I reveled the softness of the curls.

The first time my tongue met his made us both moan. There was something almost magical about it. Jasper's hands became more firm and demanding, pulling me even closer now.

When we needed the mandatory oxygen, he turned to straddle the bench and guided my other leg over the bench too. Promptly he raised my legs by the backs of my knees and pulled me closer, my thighs over his. I chuckled a bit, almost embarrassed by the sudden intimacy.

He wrapped one arm around my waist and used the other hand to hold my chin, making me look at him.

"That was your first kiss, wasn't it?" he asked and I couldn't avert my eyes or lie to him so I just nodded, feeling stupid and naïve and...young.

"It's okay, Edward. On the way here Alice told me...that you haven't really liked anyone before. A big guy called Emmett drove me here. He seemed nice." Jasper spoke and I liked the way how he made my inexperience a small thing instead of a huge deal.

"Let me guess...he asked Rose's number as a payment for the ride?" I raised a brow and Jasper looked at me confusedly.

"How did you know?" he asked and I chuckled a bit.

"Well he told me to put in a good word for him. I think he might actually match your sister and balance her a bit..." I grinned.

"I hope you're right. I'd be happy if she found someone who liked her for her instead of her looks." he said more seriously and I nodded.

The second kiss was even better, I was getting a hang of it now. My body was responding, of course. I couldn't really help it so I was sort of relieved when I felt his erection pressing against mine, even if it made all even remotely rational thoughts I might have had escape my head in an instant.

I was panting when the second kiss ended and Jasper seemed a bit flushed too.

He pressed his forehead against my neck and we just sat there for a long time, breathing each other in, connecting in a way that wasn't in any way too much.

When we finally said goodnight at the hole in the hedge between our gardens, we kissed briefly and went both to our respective houses and bedrooms to sleep.

-xxXxx-

JPOV

I honestly thought he was rejecting me that night and I called Seth immediately. I didn't want to explain it to any of the girls or let alone any straight guy... Luckily he was there and he comforted me in his own way, sitting next to me, whispering little meaningless words to my ear and making me smile.

Sadly that was what Edward saw. But things got better after I finally found Alice and got Emmett to take me home.

Now it was already October. I was sitting in the library, my sister was sitting opposite to me and we were surrounded by other students, studying whatever.

And then, like it always did, my cell rang. Them Bones.

The librarian practically ran to us and looked at me evilly. I was almost sure she'd pull me out of there by my ear.

"Hey, chill out, it's his boyfriend who's calling." Rose told her and the poor old girl got so flustered that I managed to escape from her clutches with my cell at my ear.

"Hey baby...you home already?" I asked him and he chuckled a bit, making my stomach flutter.

"Yeah, I am. I think I might be developing a crush on your mom just for 'needing help' with something..." Edward's grin was clear in his tone.

"I know, she's just awesome and no I won't swap with yours. I like mine better, sorry man. Besides it's not my mom you're supposed to be having a crush on." I reminded him, probably sounding a bit cheeky.

"Hmm, that might be true...though I might make you swap when mine finds out I wasn't actually helping your mum as much as I was getting inked...again..." he murmured the last bit in a tone that was so sexy I could feel my jeans getting tighter.

"Oh..seriously now? Shut up." I managed to get out and he chuckled again, now in a more husky way which, again, went straight to my cock.

"Meet me at my place...now?" he asked and I couldn't help but to mumble something that could be taken as a yes before I pretty much ran to the parking lot and jumped into my car, texting while driving. I know, shoot me for being a reckless driver.

"E is home. Bring my stuff. Keep Alice out."

"Will do. Happy humping." my sister replied and made me groan out loud.

So we had waited. It had been a very difficult few months... We had kissed, made out, dryhumped, given handjobs and finally blowjobs but we had wanted to have time for what we would do now.

Timing was always off somehow. Today though... My mom had given Edward cover for his visit to the tattoo parlor and they had actually driven to Seattle together, in separate cars though. Mom had gone to spend her weekend with dad there this time as it was their anniversary.

Esme and Carlisle were visiting some relatives in Alaska for the weekend and all kids had been left at home. Which suited us more than fine.

Finally.

I parked my car in our driveway, leaving enough room for Rose's scarlet Jeep and practically ran to the Cullen house. Letting myself in hastily I ended up being caught by a pair of arms I would have recognized anywhere.

"That was fast..." Edward said amusedly and I actually managed to blush.

"Hey, you don't know what you've been missing..." I reminded him and he groaned a bit.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious..." he said and tugged me upstairs to his room.

There were no candles or special music or anything too romantic. We didn't need it. Hell, two extremely horny teenaged guys, what were you expecting?

As soon as we got inside his room, he locked the door and I went to pull the curtains closed so that the view to my house wasn't clear...seriously, who would like there to be even a slight possibility of their sibling or their partner's sibling to see them having sex?

When I turned around, Edward walked to me and suddenly the rush was gone. We held each other for a moment, smiling and just...I don't know, maybe examining one another's features. This would change things, not majorly but still, it would.

"So, have you decided?" he asked me shyly and I smiled a bit.

The discussion, who would do what in our sexlife as we'd get there had been interesting. Edward, being completely new to this, had been curious, embarrassed, turned on, thoughtful...you name it. Then he had pushed making the decision to me since I 'knew what I was talking about'.

"I think I want you to feel me inside of you..." I murmured to his ear, making him shiver deliciously.

"Fuck..." he gasped and I grinned a bit before I leaned to nip his neck under his ear where his skin was most sensitive.

Slowly I dropped my jacket to the floor and kicked my boots off too. We were kissing and undressing each other slowly, until we were left with our boxer briefs. Edward was less self conscious now, which was good. At first it was pretty much coaxing him out of his shell to get to see a sliver of bare skin. It took us weeks to get to the point where we could lay on a bed topless when we were making out.

"So, the new ink?" I asked and he grinned, pulling the tape off the corner of the cover on his shoulder.

It looked amazing. Black, slightly tribal style phoenix with spread wings and black flames dripping from it downwards, the last ones nearly reaching his elbow.

"That's amazing...really nice." I said and helped him cover it up again.

"Where were we?" he asked, raising a brow and I kissed him more heatedly.

I might have not been that much more experienced, but I had done this before and having been in two relationships before, I had once had a regular sexlife even if I wasn't that old yet. So yes, I knew what I was doing, as Edward liked to say.

Leading him on the bed I waited for him to lay down and crawled on top of him. There was very little fear or hesitance in his eyes and I liked that. The time we had spent by getting to know each other and taking the physical side of the relationship slowly had paid off.

We pretty much started off like always. Making out, touching each other and just enjoying the feeling of being wanted and loved like this. I was rolling my hips slowly, making our cocks rub together through the underwear and after a while I made no big deal out of getting the fabric out of the way.

I resumed what I had been doing, making him relax again after he had tensed up when I got rid of the last pieces of clothing. I had never before been anyone's first so I suppose this was as new to me as it was to him, in some ways. Blushing deeply he reached for under the other pillow on his double bed and moved the bottle of lube and condom to the side before burying his face into my neck.

"Baby, there's no reason to be embarrassed, I've told you over and over again how I see you..." I whispered into his ear and he nodded. Sometimes he still acted like this, like he couldn't quite believe someone actually wanted him for real.

"Close your eyes and just relax, I won't hurt you." I promised him and he did as I asked, letting out a shaky breath and I began to prep him slowly and carefully.

EPOV

It was terrifying. Being naked with someone. I don't know where he found the restraint and patience to give me all this time. He never pushed me, instead he slowed down or stopped all together if he sensed I was uncomfortable in any way.

I doubt I could have done this with anyone else but him.

His fingers were slick, this I was used to because he had shown me this, the prepping, before while blowing me. Gods...the first time he gave me a blowjob...I never had thought anything could feel so intimate and amazing. When he included his fingers weeks later... Another moment of pure awe from my part.

It never bothered me that Jasper was more experienced. If he hadn't been, we would have never gotten anywhere, I was sure of that.

His mouth was on my cock as his fingers probed me and the only reason why I wasn't writhing under his touches like I usually was, was the fact that this time I knew where this was heading and I was scared.

I knew he wouldn't hurt me though. He had promised that and he never had before so he wouldn't start now. I knew Jasper loved me like I loved him and the strange infatuation of the beginning had grown into this all-consuming feeling I got when I saw or touched him. I knew it was real love and that Jasper was the one for me. Sure we were still young but some things you just knew. We had discussed everything, being realistic about it too, which had surprised our parents. When we told them we were together but also knew that we would change over time and that maybe one day we would realize we had grown into different directions and weren't compatible anymore, all four of them had looked to be in awe.

That was the end of the 'our sons are gay and together'-discussion. It was a relief, really.

I tried to relax, but didn't quite manage.

"Jazz..." I said, opening my eyes, "just...let's do it, I won't be able to relax more."

He nodded and removed his fingers from me. Knowing me so well he knew I was right. I was still nervous about anything physical to a point and this was a lot to handle, no pun intended there.

Jasper leaned over me, kissing me gently while he rolled the condom on himself. Kneeling between my legs he smiled at me reassuringly.

"I love you. I want you more than I've ever wanted anyone, but I'll still take this just as slow as you want and I won't hurt you on purpose." the words were spoken in a quiet, loving tone that relaxed me a bit, certainly more than any physical actions would.

He squeezed more lube on to his fingers and coated the condom with it before placing his cock against my entrance. One hand stroking my stomach and hips and another guiding his cock he looked at me questioningly.

I couldn't speak, so I just nodded, exhaling to relax my muscles when he pushed the head of his cock inside. After the time he had spent prepping me it didn't feel like much at all so I took another breath and smiled a little. We established a pattern. I breathed in and out and with ever exhale he pushed a bit further into me and finally he was buried inside me.

"Did it...hurt?" he asked and I could tell how difficult it was for him to stay still and in control.

"Not really...feels...a bit strange but not in a bad way." I smiled and reached to touch his face.

I winced when the skin on my arm where the tattoo was moved and Jasper held his breath.

"Just the ink, nothing you did." I grinned and he sighed in relief.

"Damn thing..." he chuckled.

"I'll tell you...if it's too much. I want this to be good for you too." I whispered to him, and his eyes filled with lust to accompany the love I could always see in them, even when we argued about something.

"Okay..." he said huskily and pulled his hips back carefully, before thrusting in again.

I closed my eyes as he began to move more, getting used to the new sensations. This was new but not unpleasant and when I got rid of the unfamiliarity of it all, I began to enjoy it. The way he moved, the friction and the sounds he made, were affecting me and I concentrated on them. Instantly my cock was getting harder again and I smiled slightly while wrapping my fingers around it.

"Look at me, baby..." Jasper whispered and I opened my eyes to see his eyes burning with emotions.

"You feel so good, I'm glad we waited." he whispered breathlessly and smiled the most beautiful smile that made my heart constrict in my chest.

"I love you, I'm glad we waited too." I smiled and he leaned to kiss me again before he took a hold of my left leg and raised it to rest against his shoulder.

I looked at him in awe and he grinned, "Baby, let me show you why I wanted to do it this way...tell me if your hip starts to hurt."

Somehow he changed the angle of his thrusts and suddenly he hit some spot inside me that made me gasp and arch my back off the bed as my eyes closed at the sensation.

"Fuck..." I managed to say before he rolled his hips and hit the spot again.

Everything else faded and there were just the way he moved within me, the stars behind my closed lids and the ecstasy that completely overwhelmed me and suddenly I was coming so hard I had never known such thing existed.

As soon as I came I heard Jasper let go and his cock pulsed inside me while he moaned in the way I had become to love. We laid there in a tangled, panting, sweaty mess of limbs or a while before he pulled out of me and I winced a bit. I knew I might be sore but I didn't care.

Slowly we managed to get to the shower where we cleaned each other up gently and just enjoyed the afterglow.

"You know, you were quite loud in the end..." Jasper said suddenly while he was helping me wash my hair without getting the tattoo wet.

I blushed furiously, "Oh..."

"Don't worry..." he murmured into my ear, "it was hot."

I had never known I could blush so much but apparently it was possible. Maybe one day I would be completely at ease with these little things he said and did to make me feel self conscious and embarrassed.

And totally and utterly loved.