The proper bench

Usually Edward liked it when his family went out 'camping' for the weekend, because it was the only time he ever got some peace. He could spend the day reading, or playing the piano, but mostly he just enjoyed being alone with his own thoughts. Otherwise he was interrupted and distracted by what everyone else was thinking, and it wasn't often the thoughts he overheard were very civilized or interesting. Not that he himself spend his time thinking about life greatest questions, but at least they were his own thoughts and his own problems. But, today, he was too bored to just sit around and think, and he had already spent too many days of his life reading and playing the piano. Just when he was about to scream out of frustration, the telephone rang. He rushed over to it with his vampire super speed and managed to answer it before the first ring rang out.

"Hello?" answered Edward.

"Uhm, Hi. It's Jake. I was just wondering, if you're not busy…"

"Meet me in the woods at our usual place in 3 minutes!"

Edward hung up the phone and smacked his hands together out of happiness. After wasting half a minute changing outfits a couple of times he finally decided on a pair of low-cut jeans and tight beige t-shirt that he knew Jake liked him in. Edward ran off to the woods with a smile on his face which he just couldn't get rid of.

Their meet up-place was an opening in the woods, halfway between Jake's and Edward's houses. A tree had fallen there which now functioned as a proper bench. The branches of the tree grew so the two of them had to sit as close together as they could, but they didn't mind. No, they didn't mind at all. When Edward got there Jake was sitting on their tree, bathing in a sun ray that had managed its way through the thick tree crowns. Edward snuck up on him and attacked him from behind, as a joke. Instead of biting him, Edward laughed and kissed his neck. Jake laughed too, and then demanded a kiss on the mouth.

"You look very nice today." said Jake, checking Edward out with a smirk on his face. Edward just smiled as a response. He knew that Jake knew that Edward always thought that Jake looked nice, and therefore it didn't need saying. The sun ray hit Edward's face too and he started sparkling like a disco ball, as Jake put it.

"You're blinding me." Edward heard Jake think, and he put on his baseball cap that he had brought, to cast a shadow on his face. "You're still blinding me." Jake said out loud, squinting toward his boyfriend, and Edward playfully shoved him off the tree. Jake laughed, and when he sat back down again he laid his arm around Edward. After a couple of minutes of sitting there, enjoying each other's company, Edward decided that this was the right moment to talk to Jake about something important.

"I love it here." Edward said, intertwining his fingers with Jake's. "I love being here with you. I- I love you." Edward stuttered while looking away, because he had no idea how Jake would respond. Jake, who hadn't seen Edward this insecure before, just lifted Edward's face with his free hand and kissed him passionately. "I love you too, Edward Cullen." he said softly when he backed away to breath.

They were staring into each other's eyes when Edward watched as a pensive look grew on Jake's face.

"What is it? And remember, if you don't tell me, I'm just going to read your thoughts." Edward said, crossing his arms. He made the face expression that reminded Jake of a grumpy baby.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just wondering, do you ever feel like leaving Forks, never to return?" Jake's normal childlike expression was gone; his face looked like it had aged tens of years in a matter of seconds. Edward got serious too, uncrossed his arms, and answered:

"Sometimes. I guess when my family is home I don't even think about it. They would be devastated if I left them, especially Alice." and Jake nodded. "But when I was together with Bella I thought about leaving all the time. It would've been so convenient to get away from all our problems, her problems, and just start over somewhere else, alone. And I did leave, remember? In the second book?"

"In New Moon, yes, I remember. Do you…" Jake paused, like he was still deciding on whether to ask the question or not. Edward sat up straighter. "Do you ever feel like leaving when you're with me?" he continued, closing his eyes as if he was expecting someone to hit him.

"I do, all the time." Edward said. Jake stood up from the tree, ready to run away, so Edward quickly added, "Wait! Not in the same way, stupid! I want to leave Forks with you! Only then could we start our lives together for real." Edward grasped Jake's hand again and kissed it.

"I'd like that too." Jake said, his cheeks red of embarrassment, and then he sat down next to Edward again. "But maybe I should graduate high school first" he continued and grinned.

"Ugh, this is like with Bella all over again!" Edward sighed and this time he was the one getting pushed off the bench. They shared a laugh, and then a kiss. And then a look that they both knew meant that this was something worth fighting for.