Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Soul and the Sun
Chapter One
"…it would be my luck that things have turned out like this…"thought the lone occupant standing amidst the towering, dark-colored trees of the chilly forest, his startlingly golden eyes directed over the edge of the cliff down to the choppy waters below, just watching the waves as they toppled over one another.
"…they all probably hate me now…think that I don't belong with them anymore," Jasper Hale continued to mentally lament over the recent events with the Cullens that had led him to this point of such solitude and despair, his pale, handsome features appearing downhearted in his stillness.
Jasper closed his eyes and sighed, ruefully remembering how, not even a few hours ago, he had been sitting comfortably in the spacious living room of the family's impressive, modern home alongside Alice and Emmett, talking about a magnitude of topics.
It had been due to the harmonious ease of such a moment that Jasper, typically more introverted and silent in nature, began to faintly remember some instances where he had drank human blood, having filled himself with the vital substance to whatever extent he had wished at the time as he had been amongst his creator and the few others like him whom had been manipulated by her as well as the passion of feasting on the most delicious of sources.
"What the hell do you think you are doing, Jasper?! It is forbidden to kill humans; you know that!" Edward had suddenly shouted at the unsuspecting blonde upon descending the stairs, fire blazing in his darkened eyes as he had glared at Hale as the latter turned around on the couch to regard him.
Jasper had immediately recognized that Edward had just read his thoughts and stood up calmly from the lavish couch as the Cullen male, dressed in a tasteful black sweater and blue jeans, made his way over to Hale and the others who were still seated and gaping at the blonde in shock.
"I had no intentions of doing such a thing, Edward," Jasper had answered the fuming housemate in his usual, cool temperament, his lovely gaze boring seemingly disinterested into Edward's equally pale features as they stood in front of each other, "…perhaps you should not jump to conclusions."
"Enough, Jasper!" Edward had continued to scold the mild-mannered vampire, both males ignoring how Alice was wide-eyed in fear and reaching out a hand to gingerly touch Jasper's arm in comfort as well as in question, "…I know what I heard in your thoughts. You crave human blood, and that is something we cannot tolerate here!"
In spite of his features remaining unaffected and patient, Hale could not deny that Edward's deliberate use of the word 'we' instead of solely him having a problem with Jasper, made the blonde feel impossibly singled out.
"Jazz…is this true…?" Alice had voiced meekly by Jasper's hand, the pixie vampire having remained sitting the whole time as she peered in between the two, quarrelling males in disbelief.
Jasper had felt his icy heart sink even more into the inky depths that he knew were inside him, having looked down towards Alice and seen the utter astonishment and disappointment there in her small face and large eyes.
"Yeah man…what's going on? You need to tell us," Emmett had chosen to speak up as he also stood up from his spot on the loveseat, only adding to the growing tension inside the room and the similarly building anxiety within the blonde-haired war veteran.
"I'm…going out for a bit," Jasper had said, dropping his gaze from the multiple pairs that had been analyzing his every move and thought, the pressure having become practically critical to him as he wholly desired to put some distance between himself and the sometimes overbearing Cullens.
Jasper had started to step passed Edward and away from Emmett, but a solid grip to his forearm from Edward had stopped his every move, the controlling gesture completely surprising Hale as he turned his confused gaze back towards the younger vampire who had had his lips pursed and gaze steeled towards him.
"No, you're not…not if you're just going to kill innocent people, Jasper Hale," Edward had voiced angrily, his harsh words causing Jasper's puzzlement to gradually edge into a paralleling state of resentment from such an unwarranted predicament.
"I said I will not and I meant it!" Jasper had growled viciously at the youngest Cullen male, yanking his arm out of Edward's grasp, not bothering to care that his form-fitting, long-sleeved grey shirt had been ruffled in the process, as he narrowed his golden gaze.
Edward had lightly snorted at Jasper's vocal rise, perhaps reading the blonde's furious thoughts that were confirming his own statements, and the Cullen had seemed ready to make another comment, but Hale had already moved away from him and the others; Jasper's steps having hastily lead him out of the house and towards the attached garage.
His red-hot fury trying desperately to break free from his discipline as a warrior and a gentleman, Jasper had purposefully grabbed the keys from the designated key-rack inside the brightly-illuminated garage that were to Edward's own Aston Martin V12 Vanquish; Hale finding that he needed such raw power and speed at his disposal while he went about his drive.
Jasper Hale opened his eyes to behold the shaded, green scenery around him once more, immersing himself back into reality as the sounds of the crashing waves also came back to his re-established senses, and he heaved another thoughtful, cleansing sigh of it all.
"You right there! Don't move!" boomed a rich timbre of a voice from somewhere behind the brooding Hale, making said blonde quirk an eyebrow up at the sudden hostility as he slowly turned around in his spot, facing away from the ocean and the grey, overcast sky.
Jasper blinked his mesmerizing eyes casually at the view of the tanned, well-built male before him whose short-cropped, black hair made his narrowed, brown eyes smolder even more towards the silent, composed vampire.
"You are on our land, leech," Jacob Black declared, his personal pride in his people showing through in his words, as well as his effortless disdain for the pale, saddened man before him.
"L-leech…?" Jasper mentally stumbled through the ill-meaning reference from the dark-skinned male who was dressed in a dark-green hoodie and cargo pants as the latter assumed more of a defensive stance in order to be ready for whatever may come.
"I apologize. I hadn't realized…"Jasper admitted softly as he looked off to his right, perhaps with feelings of dishonor weighing heavily inside him, as he let his troubled, golden gaze travel over a few of the nearby trees that offered a pleasing, earthy aroma to the fog-laden and ocean-kissed atmosphere.
"What's wrong with him? Why isn't he arguing back…and does he have a Southern accent…?" Jacob internally pondered, feeling that his highly-guarded senses and stance were truly unnecessary around such a subjugated being that appeared ready to burst into tears at any moment.
"Why are you here?" Jacob asked, continuing to use a rougher tone in his voice to let the vampire know that he was still weary of him in spite of how Black slowly dropped his guard and took a careful step closer to the unmoving, but impossibly striking young man before him.
"I don't remember this one…he seems…different than the others somehow…oh well, just shut up and listen to him talk," Jacob could not help but note to himself as he waited for the shy, soft-spoken vampire with an accent to answer his previous question, his sharp eyes tracing covertly over Jasper's attractive face as the latter appeared to be piecing together his response.
"Oh, well...I was out driving, but I stopped once I heard the car making a strange noise," Jasper filled in the details of how he had ended up at this location in La Push, the vampire having gotten out of the sleek, jet-black vehicle and trekked out into the woods as a result of ending his aimless excursion.
"…a strange noise? What did it sound like?" Jacob automatically pressed for more information about Jasper's car trouble, the werewolf also quite unable to help his curiosity bred from his general love of automobiles, momentarily unaware of how easy it was for him to talk to Hale.
"I'm not exactly sure. Would you…care to take a look?" Jasper offered somewhat awkwardly, tilting his blonde, curly head to a side as he posed his innocent question to the interested male that was having an unexpectedly normal conversation with him.
"I suppose I can," the Native American male provided smoothly, taking another step towards the stony but undeniably ethereal vampire, noticing, in spite of himself, just how powerful this one physically looked even though he said very little and remained as motionless he was.
"More importantly…why hasn't he called me 'mutt' or 'dog' once since we've been talking…?" Jacob could not help but mentally register, his mind remembering how Edward Cullen would choose to say those words to him whilst being in the middle of their random spats.
"I'm Jacob Black," the raven-haired man offered kindly, extending out his tanned, calloused hand for the well-meaning vampire to take; the thought only occurring fleetingly to Black that he must be out of his right mind for doing such a thing without actually about it.
Brief, blanking shock only riddled through Jasper for a moment upon seeing the tall werewolf offer his hand along with a formal introduction, and Hale slowly, more hesitantly, placed his sheet-white hand inside of Jacob's outstretched palm.
"Jasper Hale," the blonde replied quietly, his nervousness becoming rather evident in the way he refused to meet Jacob's gaze as he allowed for the dark-skinned male to direct the manner in which they shook hands, completely oblivious to the small smile that flashed across Black's chiseled features for a single moment as a result.
"…Jasper Hale," Jacob forced himself to remember by repeating it to himself the second after hearing it as the two of them neutrally ended their greeting and dropped their tingling hands to their sides.
"Well then, lead the way, Jasper Hale," Jacob teased by using the vampire's full name as he smirked good-naturedly at how the latter instantly tensed up before directing his gaze towards the appropriate direction.
"It's this way," Jasper responded, soon finding himself walking side-by-side with a member of the enemy to all of his kind, Jacob having shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie while they navigated through the dense trees with relative ease.
The scents of moss and moist leaves were thick and comforting in the air, accompanied by the lighter aroma of pine that often tickled at their keen noses, and it was only after another few steps had been taken away from the ocean and back towards the main road that Jacob decided to break the silence.
"So...Jasper…what made you come all the way out here by yourself?" Black asked, hoping that he was not out of line by asking such a personal question from his unlikely companion to whom he cast a sideways glance, not passing up the opportunity to take a lingering look at Hale's perfect profile upon being so close to him.
"…Edward and I had a fight," Jasper had visibly parted his full, supple lips as they continued walking, hesitating as he lowered his eyes from the dewy bark of the trees to the uneven forest floor, before speaking a purposefully vague, simple sentence.
"That fucking bastard…doesn't he know how not to piss people off?!" Jacob mentally growled about the Cullen male, able to clearly see what effects the certain situation had on the tranquil, blonde vampire as he maintained his pointed, sideways view of Jasper while they neared the black paved road ahead.
"Mind telling me what the fight was about?" the werewolf tried to ask playfully in order to cover up his blatant curiosity for more details regarding having another means by which he could hate Edward Cullen; the two of them spotting the black sports car parked on the side of the road just ahead of them.
"I uh…I don't think I should, Jacob," Jasper struggled to say with any kind of solidity in his tender, deep voice, already able to foresee in his mind's eye just how the dedicated and dangerous werewolf might respond to him should he confess the true reasons behind said argument.
Softer shades of silvery grey colored the area beyond the forest, rendering the open area on the quiet road rather peaceful but oddly electric, as if anything might happen with such unspoken intensity in the air, as Jasper and Jacob approached the unmoving automobile.
"Wow…really…nice car…"Jacob mentally praised the expensive vehicle within his reach as he and Jasper stood at the front of the car and simply looked over the machinery whilst continuing their conversation, Jasper having slid his fingers into the tight pockets of his dark jeans as he kept his gorgeous eyes downcast.
"And why shouldn't you? Trust me, if there's an opportunity for me to be mad at Edward, I'll take it," the Native American joked as he effortlessly slipped his fingertips underneath the hood of the powerful car and freed the latch holding it in place so he may carefully lift it up for the both of them to take a look underneath.
Upon hearing Jacob's bit of sinister humor meant to make him feel better, Jasper frowned slightly, looking towards the tanned werewolf as the latter hunched his tall, athletic physique over and peered closely at the state-of-the-art intake and exhaust manifolds, the staggering 5.9 L V12 engine, fit for any racing circuit, and the pristine maintenance of the custom silver cam covers.
Jasper sighed silently, eyebrows lightly furrowed, as he observed the darkened pavement in between himself and his companion, feeling his inner self reach a frightening point of not caring about the pending consequences from the werewolf before him or anyone else, as he decided that he would tell Jacob Black the truth to his question.
"Edward heard my thoughts about drinking human blood," Jasper confessed solemnly, sorrowfully as he watched Jacob immediately stand back up to his full height as the latter cast his alert, chocolate gaze right into his eyes, the werewolf seeming to be fully on his guard once more.
"I had only remembered a few times in the past, but Edward seemed to think that I was planning on doing it again," Hale explained patiently, feeling even more self-loathing course through him as he had observed Black's instantaneous caution upon hearing such information.
Jacob felt the tightly drawn tension in his large shoulders and back slowly subside upon hearing the rest of Jasper's explanation; coupled with seeing how downhearted and dejected Hale was about it all, Jacob could not help but feel a small twinge of sympathy for the misunderstood, depressed vampire.
"So...what you're telling me is that you're not…going to kill people…" Jacob posed as a statement rather than a question as he eyed the way Jasper hung his blonde head, his own grey-clad shoulders dropped with the weight of his own guilt as they talked.
Jasper briefly shook his curly head to indicate the negative, gold-colored eyes not meeting the rich, brown gaze currently sweeping over him, noticing the way his trim waist tapered down to narrow hips that were hugged provocatively by navy jeans that covered long, sculpt legs which gave him his height and more slender build.
Jacob licked the front of his white teeth, blinking thoughtfully at Hale's nonverbal answer and the situation he knew the vampire was in with his family, as the Native American cleared his throat, forced his senses to stop noticing anything further about Jasper, and tactfully decided on what next to say to him.
"Well, hurry up and start the damn thing already; I don't have all day…" Jacob joked once more, purposefully choosing not to speak anymore about the topic concerning Jasper and Edward as he reverted their conversation back to him helping the vampire diagnose the problem with his vehicle.
Jasper snapped his head back up in surprise, having expected more than few heated words from the Quileute tribe member at the very least, but was pleasantly astonished that Jacob, after all, was still willing to treat him as a friend and offer him help.
"Oh, right…sorry," Jasper muttered sheepishly as he quickly strode over to the driver's side of the extraordinary automobile, pulled open the door, and carefully slid into the black leather seat, not noticing the smirk that Black was directing towards him all the while.
"He even apologizes…that's…new," Jacob thought in good faith about Jasper regarding his knowledge of other vampires, finding it rather easy to add onto his growing list of traits and things that he actually liked about Jasper Hale the more he spent time with him and spoke with him.
Leaving the car door open to be able to hear whatever Jacob had to say to him more clearly, Jasper dutifully started the Aston Martin, both men hearing the prominent roar of the large engine that seemed to reverberate through the rest of the sleepy, dreary town with vigorous, commanding authority.
"…strange that such a quiet guy drives a loud car…"Jacob internally noted in a light-hearted manner, just making himself smile all the more as he dipped his raven head lower, listening intently to the completed revolutions the crankshaft and cam rods were able to make by means of the lightening fast propelling of the dual valves and pistons, every function seeming to work flawlessly, until…
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
"Whoa…yep…that's not right," Jacob said aloud to himself, but caught sight of Jasper gracefully stepping out of the driver's seat and approach him at the front as a result.
"What's not right?" Jasper asked simply, having heard Jacob's barely audible muttering over the growling engine perfectly as he joined him at the hood and looked over the many, varying mechanisms and assemblies along with him.
"You knocked the alternator belt off of its track...I'm surprised you were able to pull the car over to the side at all," Jacob commented truthfully, eyeing the way the thin, black belt faulted in the way it spun across its designated spindle on the left side of the engine; the werewolf also realizing that Hale must have been driving exceedingly fast and taking turns way too wide to be able to do this to the automobile.
"Can you fix it?" Jasper asked worriedly, not noticing how close he was standing next to the tanned, well-muscled male beside him as he cast his troubled but exquisite eyes over towards Black.
"Well, I can't fix it here, but back at my garage, I should be able to," the Quileute member replied thoughtfully, his brain seeming to be running through a myriad of options, checking them off when they did not work, before Jacob lifted his head and shoulders from hovering over the engine, his mind made up on the best course of action.
"I'm going to have to call my friend so he can bring his truck out here and give you a tow," Jacob reported, directing his warm gaze into Jasper's pale, concerned features as the vampire visibly swallowed hard and looked off to a side in deliberation.
"…a friend? It has to be another werewolf…what if this is a trap?" Jasper mentally considered, still avoiding Jacob's expectant gaze as he took an unconscious step away from Black before speaking.
"I see. Maybe I should go, then, and just let you…"Jasper had attempted to say in a complete sentence, but was cut off by the much more sure, stable words from the dark-skinned young man before him.
"Jasper, I promise that isn't some trick I just cooked up in the last fifteen minutes," Jacob said with an amused smirk as he had to forcibly halt his feet from taking a step closer to the slowly retreating vampire, "…no one is going to touch you; I give you my word."
Jasper did not particularly like the idea of being around another werewolf or the prospect of being even further on their territory versus the more familiar grounds of his own, but Hale could hear it in Jacob's words, see it in his face and kind eyes, that he wanted Jasper to trust him.
"Alright…go ahead and…call your friend," Jasper agreed in his own, reserved way as he stepped away from the car and watched as Jacob nodded at him before gently closing the hood with a shrill sound of metal latching against metal.
Upon seeing Black deftly retrieve his cell phone out of a back pocket and immediately begin dialing a number, the blonde vampire courteously turned his back on the occupied male, giving him a bit of privacy whilst talking with another.
Jasper relaxed his brow as he eyed the rest of the road that stretched out ahead and curved along more of the subtle hills of the ocean-front terrain, trying not to hear Jacob informing the person on the other end of the line of how he had a friend in need of a tow right away located near the fourth mile marker on the main road.
"He thinks of me as a friend…? He must have been joking with whoever he is talking to…certainly he cannot really want…my…friendship…?" Jasper mentally berated himself, having intended on continuing until a large, warm hand on his shoulder shattered his train of thought and made him turn around to seek out such a bold person.
"Seth is on his way. He was already pretty close to here, so it won't take him long to get here…a couple of minutes or so…" Black informed Jasper loyally as he let his hand slip off of the blonde's firm shoulder, the werewolf noticing in the space of a sheer second how delightfully cool to the touch Jasper's slender body was underneath his much warmer flesh, a sensation that had been easily masked by a collection of elements when they had shaken hands in the forest.
Jacob kept his gaze locked onto Jasper's face as the latter offered a small smile and nodded at the news, the Quileute native silently hoping that the blonde had not noticed the way he had momentarily shivered upon experiencing the pleasurable contrast in their body temperatures; Jasper's coolness acting a salvaging, however brief, balm to his forever heated and unsettled skin.
"I appreciate your help, Jacob," Jasper expressed somberly, watching as the werewolf smiled a bright, brilliant smile before ducking down his raven head and bringing up a tanned hand to ruffle through his short locks in, what appeared to be, a nervous but appreciative gesture.
"It's not a problem. Your car will be easy enough to fix, and…"the Native American had began in a pleased voice, making his baritone have an appealing tone to it, before he caught sight of Hale shaking his curly head from side to side.
"That's not what I meant;" Jasper clarified coolly, his gaze dropping off to a downward corner as he continued in his quiet demeanor, "…you could have been angry with me, treated me like dirt, but you didn't…and I suppose I am grateful for that."
"Hey…like I said, it's no problem," Jacob repeated contently, every inch of him feeling extraordinarily humbled that Jasper was treasuring his kindness and thanking him in earnest, "…besides, I figured it would be better if I just kept an eye on you rather than letting you roam around on our land."
Jacob chuckled at his own comment, trying to lighten Hale's obviously sullen mood with his jest in spite of the last part being a total lie.
Black knew, deep in the far corners of his mind, that he was acting so nicely towards the vampire because he just simply wanted to; he felt it practically necessary within himself to be friendly and make jokes with Jasper Hale, the lonesome vampire with beautiful golden eyes whom he had found in the forest not long ago.
The quiet, handsome vampire was intriguing yet troubled, leaving Jacob Black with millions of questions that he wanted to ask him for the sole purpose of knowing everything about him.
"Hey, look…Seth's here!" Jacob proclaimed with a smile, both men facing the appropriate direction as a medium-sized, work truck with a tow cable made its way down the paved road towards them.
Jacob waved an arm towards Seth who also stuck his hand out of the window in response, Jasper merely watching the exchange with still, indifferent features as the orange and white-colored truck with a wooden, flat bed pulled up next to them.
"God…took you long enough, Grandma!" Jacob teased his good friend who feigned being emotionally hurt as Seth parked the truck, swung open the large, squeaking door, and promptly hopped out of the aged vehicle.
"Yeah whatever…just be glad that I came to your rescue…"Seth Clearwater, dressed in a simple grey T-shirt and black jeans, heckled right back at the older Quileute member who grabbed him in a quick hug before letting him go and stepping aside.
"Not my rescue…his," Jacob provided as he cocked his head over towards the silent, statuesque vampire, allowing Seth to see the friend that he had specified over the phone.
"…oh, well uh…"Seth fumbled for a reply as he beheld Jasper's stunning, pale face and full lips that smiled softly at him, "…Jake, can I talk to you for a second…"
Jasper blinked patiently as he watched the younger male with longer, brown locks hastily hook his fingers around one of Jacob's green-clad arms and turn them both away from the wordless vampire, Clearwater and Black remaining close enough to whisper what they hoped could not be overheard.
"Is he real?!" Seth expressed youthfully, his brown eyes wide with surprise as he and Jacob took an automatic step forward whilst they talked about Jasper Hale in private.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Jacob asked his bumbling, younger friend as he frowned comically at him and his nonsensical question.
"Is he real…because he looks like a dream to me…!" Seth finished his joke with a chipper tone and a cheeky smile, prompting Jacob to roll his eyes at his friend's ridiculous humor as he inched even closer to him to utter his reply.
"Will you get a grip…?" Jacob provided good naturedly, having genuinely felt uplifted from Seth's joke and obvious approval of the vampire male with whom they were associating, as Black continued, "…just get the tow cable ready so we can bring the car back to the garage…alright?"
"I know, I know…I'm on it," Seth provided pseudo-exasperatedly as he and Jacob abruptly ended their side conversation and darted off to their respective positions; Seth yanking down the tow cable from the back of his truck while Jacob went to the Aston Martin.
Hale, however, had heard their careful whispers well enough, having quirked up an eyebrow at Seth Clearwater's strange comment about a dream, as he stood contently and simply observed the other two young men work together seamlessly; Jacob turning the car around so that the cable could be secured underneath the back bumper which his younger friend appeared to be able to manage expertly.
"Got it," Seth called out to the raven-haired male, giving the trunk of the expensive sports car a few pats of his hand, prompting Jacob to get out of the vehicle and step to his side to assist him with maneuvering the car a little closer to the truck.
Their efficiency and ease was refreshing to watch, and Jasper, again, could not help but feel tiny bursts of happiness spark through him upon seeing such kind-hearted work being performed for solely his sake.
"That should do it," Jacob commented, giving the tow cable another tug before both of them stepped away from the back of the truck and met Jasper's serene, observant gaze.
Hale began to step closer to Jacob, Clearwater already opening the driver's side door and hoisting himself on top of the worn-in bench seat, and Black did not mentally question anything this time as he blatantly watched Jasper bashfully approach him.
"I can't thank you enough for everything you've done…"Jasper began, pulling his hands out of his pockets as he let his eyes travel to both Jacob and Seth, who was looking over him from the opened window of the truck, "…and, if you prefer, I could follow you…to wherever we're going so that you do not have to sit with me…"
Jacob's lips parted in immediate, strained shock, his chest having tightened up considerably upon hearing such self-demeaning words being spoken by someone so undisruptive, so gentle in nature…beautiful.
"What?! Don't be silly; there's plenty of room up here for all of us!" Seth chimed in first, catching Jasper's adamant attention as he craned his pale neck up to see Clearwater smiling down at him from the driver's seat, Jacob having not yet recovered from Hale's complicated words to also seek out his friend's good spirits.
"Well…if you are sure…" Jasper said quietly as he began walking away from a stunned Jacob and around the front of the work truck to the other side so he may open the passenger side door and hop inside the rugged vehicle.
Jacob gave his raven head a few shakes to snap out of his empathetic reverie, quickly following Jasper's route as he entered the truck after Hale, and shifted his weight on the cushioned, material-covered seat, noticing that Jasper was sitting perfectly still in between himself and a grinning Seth Clearwater.
"Hey guys…"Seth began with a sinister smile, starting the loud truck that obviously had a few problems of its own, as he slowly pulled onto the road from the shoulder, "…do you think we look like an Oreo right now?"
"Oh my God…"Jacob said in defeated embarrassment while Seth laughed boisterously at his own, strange humor, prompting Jasper to look to his left at a cackling Clearwater and to his right to an internally cursing Black who was rubbing over an eye with the pads of his fingers.
"Is it because…I'm so pale and you two have darker skin?" Jasper asked in an impossibly adorable manner that it caused Seth's laughter to stop and Jacob to quickly drop his hand from his face.
"Aww…can't we keep him?!" the younger Native American male said instead of a direct answer to Hale's curious question, Clearwater bringing his free hand up to the top of the vampire's head and giving his blonde curls a brief but hardy ruffle.
Jacob could not help but smile at the way Jasper seemed to not know what to do whence Seth had messed up his hair, as Hale shyly brought up his hands up to smooth back down his short, styled locks.
"Yeah…can't we keep him…"Jacob echoed Seth's obnoxious words inside his head, the tone with which he thought of such a thing being much more serious and contemplative than what Clearwater had voiced aloud.
The drive out to the Black family's garage had taken no time at all, most of which having been filled with more of Seth's inane jokes and jabs, and, soon, the three of them were parked inside the small facility on the property and climbing out of the large truck.
Jasper had scooted across the bench seat towards the passenger side after Jacob and was about to step down from the cab, but stopped his movements as he caught sight of a strong, tanned hand reaching out to help him out of the truck.
"Thank you…"Jasper said quietly, taking Jacob's offered hand as he hopped out of the truck, unconsciously giving Black's fingers a slight squeeze upon doing so.
"Don't mention it," Jacob replied back smoothly, gentle affection gracing his features as he was able to feel the pleasant, chilled sensations on his skin from Jasper's hand gripping onto his own, just like how he had wanted.
"Alright, Seth, grab the set of smaller tools so we can get the cover off from around the alternator," Jacob began instructing in a no-nonsense voice, his mechanical mind already putting together the information he would need to quickly fix the problem with the Aston Martin.
"On it," Seth replied back dutifully before rushing to the other side of the mostly well-kept garage that housed an infinite number of tools and small parts from years of mechanical work and interest.
Jasper parted his lips, feeling the need to try to offer his own assistance, as he watched Jacob lower the sports car down from the tow cable and carefully disassemble the catch from the tow hook, placing the Aston Martin flat on the ground so they may work properly on it.
"Jacob, what would you like for me to do?" Jasper asked, hope in his small but velvety voice as he watched Black lift up the hood of the sports car.
"…to stay with me," Jacob found himself instantly answering Hale's innocent question inside his head, but hurriedly decided against voicing such a response to the attractive vampire.
"Here, Jacob; I got your tools for you!" Clearwater suddenly interrupted, dashing to Jacob's side with a small, gunmetal grey box of lighter-weight tools for them to use.
"Thanks, man…"Jacob answered his loud friend first before turning his attention back towards the calmly waiting Jasper Hale who greatly resembled an ill-treated but optimistic puppy with the way he cast his lovely gaze directly in his face.
"Jasper, could you bring me a clean rag? You might have to dig around a little bit to find one, though…"Jacob hastily thought of a simple job for Hale to do whilst he and Clearwater removed the belt cover, Black's voice being blatantly cheerful and positive to the heartbreakingly hopeful vampire before him.
To Black's undeniable delight, upon being given his order and, ultimately, a chance to also contribute, Jasper Hale smiled.
"Of course," Jasper replied, his tone being exponentially brighter than anything Jacob had heard from him up to this point, before the vampire turned away from the two werewolves to search the countertops and corner workstation for pieces of clean cloth.
"Really…beautiful smile…sweet Lord," Jacob thought dreamily to himself, not realizing that while he had had his hands lowered inside the front of the car, he was not moving a muscle as he continued to watch after the blonde.
By Black's side, Seth finished taking off the last, small bolt from the black cover, before giving a rough punch to Jacob's shoulder; effectively, knocking him back into reality as the raven-haired male blinked his eyes a few times and turned towards Clearwater.
"What the hell was that for?" Jacob asked incredulously of his smirking, younger friend who was straightening back up from bending over the expensive machinery, Black having to tear his eyes away from the endearingly obedient vampire who was busy poking around through the various gadgets and metal tools littering the countertops.
"I saw you, you obvious shit," Seth teased with a chuckle as he inched closer to Jacob so they may resume their hushed conversation, "…you were totally checking him out, but hey, it's not like I'm blaming you or anything…"
Jacob frowned at the harsh truth being tossed casually in his face, resisting the urge to roll his brown eyes at Seth as he hardened his features before speaking to him in an overly-annoyed tone.
"And just what is that supposed to mean…?" Jacob asked cynically, not particularly favoring how he was getting the message that Seth Clearwater was also developing a certain soft spot for Jasper Hale.
"Oh, nothing, nothing…it's just…"Seth purposefully trailed off to goad Jacob into asking him to continue with his thought, his cocky grin never leaving his rounded, tanned face as the younger male watched as Black began hastily adjusting the alternator belt along the spindle to quicken the pace of their work.
"It's just what, Seth?" Jacob growled impatiently but covertly at his werewolf comrade and friend, feeling more and more agitated the more Clearwater's smirk at him widened in a seemingly knowing gesture.
"I just think that you should make your move before someone else does, because I have got to tell you…"Seth remarked wickedly as he and Jacob both lifted up their dark heads from the car so they may seek out Hale who was turning over a stained, white rag in his hands, seeming to inspect on how clean it was before handing it to either of them.
"…I would love for him to teach me a few things…"Clearwater finished in a less than innocent whisper to his older Native American friend, the younger not seeing how Jacob had quirked up an eyebrow and silently parted his lips upon hearing such a provocative thought out loud.
"I think I found a good enough rag for you to use," Jasper reported faithfully, striding across the adequately-sized garage with a large, red cloth in one of his pallid hands.
"Thanks, Jasper," Jacob said with a light smile as he gratefully accepted the work rag from the satisfied vampire and began scrubbing the material over his long fingers.
"There…I got the cover back on…we're done!" Seth said with a little grunt in his voice as he obviously finished tightening the last of the small fasteners with his ratchet, before stepping back from the car after he was finished.
Jacob chucked the black-stained rag over towards Clearwater, knowing that the younger werewolf would catch it, as Black instead focused on the pale, otherworldly being standing idly before him, looking substantially happier than when the Quileute native had found him in the woods.
Jacob had watched with intent, unwavering eyes as Hale had parted his supple, tempting lips in order to say something else, but, to Black's bitter dismay, Seth Clearwater's not-so smooth voice caught his ears first.
"Well, you guys, it's been real, but I've got to get out of here. Believe it or not, Black, but I was in the middle of something before you called with your little problem," Seth laughed off in his usual way in spite of the way Jacob frowned and somewhat glared exasperatedly at him and his antics, the raven-haired male and the lither vampire watching as Seth stepped back up to the driver's side of his truck.
"Sure, sure…thanks for your help, man. I'll see you later," Jacob said in good faith as he tossed up a hand and sluggishly waved at his friend while the latter started his loud vehicle; Black, however, still feeling a bit uneasy about his and Clearwater's brief but disturbing conversation that had ultimately left him with an overload of confusion.
"…nice to meet you, Jasper," Seth said sweetly over the roaring of the truck's engine, a smile forming his lips as the young werewolf watched Jasper lift both of his eyebrows in mild surprise before smiling kindly and nodding in accord.
With that, Jasper and Jacob watched as Seth Clearwater slowly maneuvered his truck towards the garage exit and then accelerated to the dirt road that lead around the simple house and out towards the road into town.
Jacob found himself admittedly able to breathe easier now that Seth had left, but his quiet musing as to the reasons why were politely disturbed by the sound of Hale's pleasantly deep voice by his side.
"I should get going as well…" Jasper expressed seriously but not without a bit of reluctance in his voice, gaining a rather doubtful expression from Black as the werewolf turned to face the blonde-haired male on his right.
"Are you really in some big rush…because it doesn't sound to me like you really want to go back just yet," Jacob cross-examined the reserved but unbelievably mysterious vampire with resilient, bold words; his brown eyes even more so as Black closely watched Jasper's every, subtle emotion to flash across his lovely face upon hearing such a counter.
Jasper's beautiful golden eyes had widened straight away at the werewolf's presumption that he did not wish to return to his own kind, his family, but Hale's gaze slowly lowered as a thoughtful grimace pulled at the corners of his mouth as Jasper realized that what Black had said had been the truth.
"Perhaps you're right…in saying that," Jasper acknowledged with a heavy heart as he avoided Jacob's searching, praiseful stare, unknowingly causing the tall werewolf strenuous inner turmoil upon seeing such gloom befall him upon remembering his earlier situation with the Cullens.
"…he looks so sad…if he were with me, I would make sure that he wouldn't ever have to look like that…wait…what…?" Jacob mentally streamed his most personal thoughts as he somewhat mindlessly brought a few of his fingers to Jasper's chin, briefly running the pads of his fingertips across the soft, immaculately smooth flesh there before taking hold of it in between his first finger and thumb.
Jasper had visibly gasped, quite unused to such brave touches from someone other than the pixie vampire, as Jacob carefully lifted his chin up for him, making Hale look directly into patiently waiting, chocolate eyes and a caring smirk that curved the werewolf's perfectly shaped lips at him.
"Don't look so down; you can stay here for a while…"Black provided like it was the most obvious concept in the world to the charmingly speechless male before him, letting his tanned fingers slide away from Hale's chin and already missing the cotton-soft contact.
"You…do not mind…?" Jasper rasped out in his gentle baritone, his confusion evident in his hesitant question to the meticulously attentive werewolf as he briefly licked at his luscious, bottom lip before continuing, "…but I am a…"
"Vampire; I know," Jacob finished for him, his tone mild and forever warm towards the calm, ethereal male, as the Quileute native only now realized how truly and effortlessly comfortable he was around Hale, trusting him, "…just come on…"
The blonde watched with an uncertain but fascinated gaze as Jacob Black had no qualms whatsoever about turning his back to him and walking casually towards the back door that lead into his house, the overhanging meaning for Jasper to follow him in thick but welcoming in the air.
Jasper's golden eyes only darted off to his left towards the immobile Aston Martin for a fraction of a second before the vampire hurriedly, perhaps unthinkingly, began walking after Jacob, effectively following him into the house as per his invitation, Hale's mind being instantly cleared with the first step forward he took after Black.
Slowing his steps to a polite, careful stride, Jasper walked up the few stairs into the bi-level house, noticing that the doorway from the garage lead directly into the cozy, teal-colored kitchen where white appliances and a small, wooden dining table caught his roaming attention.
Jacob, quite comfortable inside his own home, had already retrieved a few containers of left-over Chinese food and had them warming up in the microwave to his right, providing a steady hum of noise within the atmosphere as Hale closed the back door behind him and took another step inside the quaint abode.
"Go on in the living room and have a seat," the raven-haired werewolf offered plainly, intent on being wholly polite and considerate to the quiet vampire behind him as he busied himself with retrieving a fork out of a nearby drawer and a can of soda out of the refrigerator on his left.
"I'll wait," Jasper replied back to his host, not feeling entirely comfortable with moving around said house all by himself as he direly felt the need to be by Jacob's side no matter what at the moment; not willing to take another step until he saw Black do it first.
"Alright…it'll be just another few minutes," Jacob reported neutrally as he turned around so that he finally faced the stock-still vampire, placing his tanned hands on the countertop behind him as he leaned his weight back, blatantly observing Jasper Hale outside of his element.
The introverted vampire was curiously looking from his high left to his low left then to his top right and so on, seemingly studying his modest but friendly, welcoming surroundings as he noticed the salty, tangy scent of Jacob's food cooking, the overall cedar smell that wafted graciously inside the house, before finally locking his exquisite amber-colored eyes on Black's calm, pleased features from across the room.
"You have a nice house," Jasper commented good-naturedly, obviously trying to fill the awkward period of silence between himself and the werewolf, noticing that while his statement earned him an understanding smile from Jacob, the young man's brown eyes never ceased in their intensity towards him.
"Yeah, thanks…I'm sure it's not as great as what you're used to, but it works fine for me and my dad," Black explained conversationally before turning around upon hearing the beeping of the microwave behind him, snatching the tiny, white boxes of piping hot food along with his drink from the counter so they may finally move into the other room.
Jasper followed Jacob into the adjacent living room, noticing the comfortable, worn-in feel that the space had to it, as his calm features took in the masterfully woven blankets draped over the backs of the couch and loveseat, the handcrafted in-tables at various places, and the abundant sense that upon being invited into this room, he was a part of something wonderful.
Jacob unceremoniously plopped down upon the cloud-grey couch, setting his boxes of leftovers on the coffee table in front of him, as Jasper more gracefully sat down on the loveseat beside him, watching him inquisitively as the werewolf nonchalantly began sliding open the interlaced folds of the boxes.
"…I'm starving…"Jacob sort of mumbled under his breath as he began eating his perfectly spiced lo mein, having to collect as much of the stringy noodles around his fork as possible before taking generous, hurried bites.
"You mentioned your father before…are you two close?" Jasper decided to speak up, getting the direction of his softly-spoken question from a comment Jacob had made in the kitchen.
Jacob swallowed the lo mein and fried rice that he had had in his mouth before settling his naturally warm gaze on the blonde-haired vampire sitting off to his left, the werewolf feeling rather touched that Jasper would ask about his family, apparently wanting to know more about him personally.
"Yeah…yeah we are," Jacob said meaningfully before reaching out a hand towards the wooden coffee table to retrieve his can of soda, merely cradling it inside his large palm whilst he continued to the attentive, patient Hale, "…he's on a hunting trip with Charlie Swan for a few days, but uh…yeah, we usually do a lot of things together. He's the one who taught me how to work on cars, you know…"
The last part had been said with a bit of a cheeky jab to the honey-eyed vampire who looked mildly surprised as well as wholly impressed by everything that Black had said to him.
"Oh…then I suppose I owe him a debt of gratitude as well," Jasper said with an adorable smirk playing on his lips, his attempt at polite humor absolutely humbling the young, Black werewolf right down to the tips of his toes as he smiled in earnest at Hale.
"Maybe…" Jacob managed to say in spite of his smile as he pulled his green hoodie over his head, revealing a simple, white T-shirt that contrasted nicely with his darker skin tone and black hair, as he dropped his jacket over an armrest of the couch.
Pleased that his comment appeared to be well-received, Jasper blinked his eyes down, staring at his folded hands as he heard Jacob turn on the television, the darkened but serene living room now being streamed with brilliant, white-blue remnants of light that highlighted the pieces of furniture and flat surfaces.
Hale could tell that Jacob had switched on a professional baseball game, and Jasper tilted his head up in unbridled interest at the screen, watching the vividly-projected program of the two teams engaging in the classic running game; the abrupt change in demeanor not going unnoticed by the werewolf.
"Do you like baseball, Jasper…?" Jacob had to refrain from asking the question in more of a cocky, provoking manner as he smirked at the way Jasper's beautiful eyes widened upon watching the events of the game, his sheet-white skin seeming to glow entrancingly from the accenting light from the television.
"I do…we play baseball often," Hale replied back seriously as well as somewhat far-away in nature, his statement referring to none other than the Cullen family he was a part of, as he continued to watch the baseball game while Jacob continued to watch him.
"…I bet he's amazing…" Jacob internally mused, already picturing Jasper Hale's seductively stoic features whilst he effortlessly hit home runs with colossal swings of his bat as he helped his team to win.
Suddenly, Jasper groaned in pain, ducking his head down as he brought up his hands to his face, his knees resting on his elbows as he hunched over and audibly breathed heavily against his palms.
"What is it, Jasper?!" Jacob blurted out as he hastily hopped up onto his feet, brown eyes wide with confused panic as he watched Jasper cradle his blonde head in his hands, the vampire wincing in discomfort as Black neared him cautiously.
"Nothing…it's nothing…just…don't come any closer…!" Jasper rasped out with some difficulty, his words, however, falling on deaf ears as the werewolf brazenly approached him and bent down so that they were about eye level with one another.
"Stop it, Jasper…you need to tell me what's wrong," Jacob said solidly, resolutely bringing his tanned hands to Hale's paler ones and prying them away from his gorgeous face so he may look upon him.
Jacob's breath silently caught he beheld Jasper's coal-black, but worried gaze, Hale trying defiantly not to look at the werewolf as he weakly tried to tug his hands out of Jacob's iron grasp.
"When was the last time you fed?" Black asked a bit fearfully, watching with concern scrunching his russet features as Jasper trembled where he sat, having to look down while he thought of the answer to Jacob's question.
"It definitely has…been a while…"Hale reported breathlessly, not willing to direct his frightening black gaze into the werewolf's kind eyes and worried features above him as the famished vampire could feel his insufficient systems aching in protest, rendering his senses even sharper, hungrier whilst he suffered.
Jacob sighed as he gently released Jasper's wrists from his fingers, feeling entirely troubled by the sight of the gentle-natured Hale being in so much discomfort and need as the Quileute native swiftly made up his mind about something that he knew he act upon straight away.
Filling his lungs with air for confidence, Jacob Black slowly slid a hand inside one of the pockets adorning the side of his cargo pants, retrieving the black-handled, multi-purpose knife that his father had given to him years ago when he had just learned how to hunt and fish.
However, the instant that Jacob had flicked the long, jagged-edged blade up from inside the handle, Jasper immediately snapped his head up to the standing, towering werewolf, his blackened eyes wide with perplexed misunderstanding.
"Jacob! What are you doing?!" Jasper exclaimed, beginning to stand up from his spot on the loveseat until a firm hand pressed against his chest so that he could not.
"I can't believe I'm doing this, but…just don't bite," Jacob said bluntly as he made a clean, fast slice to his opposite forearm, the knowledge prominent and repetitive inside his mind regarding his healing capabilities as a werewolf.
"No! I will not, Jacob!" Jasper said reluctantly, squeezing his eyes shut and turning his head away in spite of the coaxing, tempting scent of Jacob's more-than human blood pulling at his senses, driving him into near madness considering how hungry he was.
Jacob made a fist with his injured arm, effectively making more blood flow from the opened gash across his thick, tanned forearm as he, again, ignored Jasper's pleading words, and brought his flesh closer to Hale's lips.
"Just hurry up and take a little...this cut will be healing soon," Jacob explained seemingly coolly in spite of how utterly jittery and, perhaps, excited in some forbidden, daring manner that he was allowing Jasper, a vampire, to do this to him.
Black brought his free hand to one of Hale's pale, perfectly-shaped cheeks, and mindfully turned his blonde head back towards him and his bleeding arm, the werewolf able to see the inner conflict within the vampire's blazing, onyx eyes before Jasper finally complied with what was being asked of him.
Jacob gasped in riveting delight upon seeing Jasper's eyelids lower until they were covering half of his beautiful eyes as the latter smoothly brought up both of his hands to the werewolf's offered arm, the vampire's slender fingers gliding across tanned, roughened skin until he lightly took hold of the appendage.
The thin cut along the Native American's forearm had several lines of blood trailing down and almost completely around his arm, and Jacob could barely blink as he watched transfixed as Hale slowly, seductively, brought out his pink tongue to initially lap at the tiny rivers of shimmering crimson.
Jasper moaned low in his throat, his eyes slipping completely closed in evident, intoxicating satisfaction, as he licked at the vital red substance that stained Jacob's arm, Hale bringing his lips and tongue to the wound and gently closed his mouth around it, letting Jacob's blood flow easily into his mouth as he unconsciously tightened his grip along Black's wrist and elbow.
"Ohh…shit…"Jacob mentally stumbled as he observed almost too keenly just how Jasper practically made love to his arm, the werewolf's eyes absolutely drinking in those supple, full lips as they moved teasingly across his flesh, accompanied by Hale's velvety-smooth tongue that caressed and swirled against any areas touched with blood.
The Quileute member could feel traitorous, overwhelming slivers of pleasure begin to stir wildly inside of him, arousing his trained senses and making his flaccid cock begin to swell with heated blood against his leg, as Jacob continued to watch Jasper move his alluring lips while he drank from his arm, Hale looking impossibly sexy to the spellbound werewolf.
Unable to resist the action, Jacob lifted his other hand to the top of Jasper's head, threading his long, calloused fingers through silken curls of honey-blonde hair as he moved a few, unruly strands back from Hale's temple so he could see the vampire's awe-inspiring face whilst being so close, connected.
"That's right…that should make you feel better, Jasper…"Jacob said in a hushed, intimate tone as he continued brushing his fingers through feather-soft locks of light-colored hair, the werewolf only somewhat aware of the cut on his arm already beginning to heal underneath Jasper's mind-breaking lips.
Jasper, however, through his sated haze of having finally fed, did notice that Jacob's cut was rapidly closing, the flesh mending together without so much as a trace of scarring, as Hale swallowed his last mouthful of the premium substance before once again taking to running the tip of his tongue over the area.
Jacob shivered briefly from such jolting, sensual ministrations, watching as Jasper cleaned his once-stained arm where there had just been a bleeding wound, before the werewolf moved one more lock of hair from Jasper's eyes with his fingers and then carefully retracted his hand.
The war-veteran vampire promptly sat back fully against the loveseat, his eyes unfocused as he stared at nothing in particular while he kept his jean-clad legs spread wide in unabashed comfort and relaxation amidst the Black family residence; the glow of the activated television stilling playing various colors of light favorably across the speechless, tranquil vampire.
Jacob looked appreciatively over the reclining Jasper Hale, noticing his parted, ruby lips and his far-away look that meant that he had been made content, satisfied; and Black swallowed hard at the carelessly provocative sight before forcing himself to move away from him and back over to the couch.
"…wow," Jacob unintentionally voiced aloud as he sat back down on the shadow-laden couch, his actions much more lethargic and uncaring as he practically fell onto the large, cushioned furniture.
"I…apologize if I got too carried away, Jacob," Jasper provided solemnly but not without his overall respite showing through in his lowered, slower tone whilst he spoke to his werewolf companion who turned his raven head towards him.
"…carried away…I didn't want you to stop…" Jacob thought to himself, his mental statements directed to Hale personally before Black caught himself and cleared his throat prior to speaking.
"You didn't…and Jasper…?" Jacob said with a much lighter tone than what Hale had been prepared for; prompting the vampire to lift his blonde head up expectantly at Black's surprisingly understanding, playful tone with him after what had just transpired.
Jasper said nothing but the way his eyes were wide and full of hope towards the werewolf made Jacob smile in earnest before continuing with his point.
"Call me Jake," Black corrected significantly, his voice going a bit richer, a touch darker upon finishing his statement to Hale as he conveyed his seriousness with such a request by his tone alone.
"Oh…okay…I will…" Jasper confirmed shyly, his pale, handsome features softening indefinitely as he saw Jacob smirk kindly at him through the murky darkness of the living room, "…some call me Jazz."
"Jazz?" Jacob reiterated with a growing, pleased smile, finding the nickname for Jasper impossibly cute as he watched Hale nod at him to indicate the positive.
"Jazz it is, then," Jacob agreed easily, laying his head back along the high-rising pillows of his elongated couch as the young man got more comfortable as per his increasing fatigue bred from a long, unexpected day.
Jasper licked his lips, gold-colored eyes trailing back towards the ending baseball game on the television, before blinking back over to the nearly asleep werewolf on his right, his mind positively buzzing with questions about the events that had been happening between himself and the Quileute tribe member…all of which, Jasper could not help but realize, were solely due to Jacob's unforeseen kindness and consideration for him.
"Jake, I have to ask you something…" Jasper voiced carefully, making sure that he could see the Native American's dark eyes cast on him before continuing, "…why did you do that for me just now…?"
Jacob blinked tiredly at Hale's question, the vampire's inner most insecurity coming to life with his self-lowering questions and comments, and Black decided right then to let out a small piece of everything that he had been thinking about upon first meeting this man in the woods.
"I couldn't just let you suffer, you know. I needed to take care of you…just like with the car…besides, aren't you feeling better because I let you have some of my blood?" the werewolf said casually, once again bringing up topics in such a matter-of-fact manner that hugely surprised the blonde vampire to no end.
"Absolutely; your blood makes me feel…warm," Jasper admitted, each word growing more quite than the last as he averted his eyes from the lounging Native American male who smirked in immediate response to such an agreeable phenomena.
"…that's good," Black trailed off somewhat incoherently before falling asleep on the couch, his head having lolled to a side against the top of one of the large, grey pillows behind him as Jacob's breathing audibly gained a steady, restful pattern.
Jasper furrowed his brows a bit at the sight of the sleeping, completely unguarded werewolf, the Texas-born vampire merely taking to watching Jacob rest for a few minutes before deciding that it was as good a time as any to take his leave and finally return to the Cullen home.
Wetting his luscious lips again, Jasper pushed himself up off the loveseat and began silently padding towards the other end of the small room to one of the cedar bookcases located there.
Able to see perfectly clear amidst such inky shadows and depths, Jasper deftly retrieved a slender ballpoint pen from a glass jar that sat on one of the shelves inside the bookcase, before stepping just as cautiously back over to the coffee table, his movements causing the radiance from the television to move eerily across the peaceful room.
Jasper leaned over the low-sitting coffee table long enough to jot down a simple message onto a napkin, placing the pen right on top of the small, white square of textured material so that it would, undoubtedly, catch Jacob's eye straight away when he woke up.
Satisfied with his note to Jacob, and more than cognizant that everyone back at home would have an arsenal of questions for him upon returning, Jasper took one, final look down at the most kind-hearted and well-meaning individual he had ever met, before turning around and heading back towards the garage, and to the Aston Martin Vanquish that readily awaited his presence.
Author's Note: I cannot believe I'm doing this either. Sorry, all lol. Anywho, leave a review and let me know what you think so far, yeah? Thanks a bunch! XD