Who: Jules and Jasper When: Thursday, Oct 26, night Where: Jules’s house Warning: NSFW and sads Status: Complete
This week just kept going. It was kind of incredible to Jasper, that time just continued to march onward while his sister was missing, but it did. The searches had dwindled down. The cops kept saying they were doing all they could, even if nothing seemed to actually be getting done. Jasper had driven every road in town and around it over and over and over again. He felt like he’d knocked on every door, handed out countless fliers with Amelia’s smiling face on them, given her description to every person he saw. He’d cried in front of his father. He’d tried to assure his hysterical mother that her daughter would come back. He hadn’t slept much, he hadn’t eaten much. He felt like he was coming apart at the seams.
After another fruitless day of driving around, Jasper found himself not wanting to go home. Again. It was raining and he couldn’t stop thinking about Amelia out in it somewhere. If she was alive, he hoped she had shelter. If she wasn’t, and it was just raining on her body out in the woods or something ... god, it hurt to think about. He went to the only place he could think to go, and pulled up in front of Jules’s house yet again, flicking his headlights off before he got directly in front of it. There weren’t a lot of lights on, and he hoped that meant that her parents were settled in for the night. Jasper pulled his phone out to text her. u home?
Jules had woken up about an hour before Jasper's text came through, though she laid in bed, listening to the rain and watching it fall against her windows. She had slept through dinner, apparently, and no one had come to wake her up, for which she was thankful. She didn't think she could eat dinner with her mom and stepdad without being snarky and bitchy, and Jules knew that would only make things worse. There had been no creepy dreams either, and the short nap had helped her mood some. That was something, she supposed. She was considering getting into the shower when her phone buzzed, and Jules sat up when she saw it was Jasper.
Rubbing her eyes with one hand, Jules then thumbed in a quick response. yeah. in my room. She wanted to ask if everything was okay - had they found Amelia? - but Jules figured he would tell her, because everything was obviously not okay and it felt silly asking as much. want to come over? Her mom had said Jasper wasn't allowed inside, but fuck that. What Margaret didn't know wouldn't hurt her, and she was pretty sure her mom and Edward were in bed by now.
It had kind of felt like a stupid question when Jasper sent it, but he knew there was no school tomorrow, and Jules still had a social life, so maybe she’d gone out with friends or something. Her quick reply eased some tension in his shoulders and he smiled very faintly at the invitation. Too late. Because he was a fucking stalker or something. Really, he just needed his girlfriend, badly, even if he felt like he would never be anything but shitty company again. already here. what door should i come to? he sent back. It was a big house and it was kind of late, Jasper thought they could probably dodge her parents. If not? Well ... he couldn’t really muster any fucks to give about that at the moment.
It wasn't super surprising that he was there, and for a second she felt a thrill of joy before coming back down to earth. His sister was still missing - she assumed - and Jules probably shouldn't be feeling giddy butterflies that her boyfriend was there to visit her, given the circumstances. Jules climbed off the bed and peered outside her bedroom window, spotting Jasper's car, and Jasper, a little ways down the road. She turned from the window quickly to head into her bathroom to brush her teeth and tie her hair up into a quick ponytail. back door. pretty sure mom is in bed already so it should be fine. If it wasn't, oh well, she would just have to deal with it. Jules wasn't about to make Jasper go home because her mom was a heinous bitch sometimes. I'll be down in a sec!
She made quick work of her hair and brushing her teeth before hurrying - quietly - downstairs to the back doors leading out onto the porch. The house was pretty quiet and she was feeling pretty confident that she could sneak him up to her room if that's where he wanted to go. Jules unlocked the back doors and pulled one open for Jasper to come inside. "Hey," she whispered with a small smile, reaching out for his hand.
Jasper backed his car up a bit further down the street, so it didn’t quite look like he was parked in front of their house, then got out and jogged through the rain. He went through the grass around the side of the house and up over the fence pretty easily. Maybe not as easily as he would have under normal circumstances where he wasn’t ridiculously tired, but he still made it. He just hoped the Coopers didn’t have motion-sensor alarms or anything. Jules would know, though. He made it to the back porch and shook himself off a bit, though he’d gotten pretty wet, and then Jules was there, backlit with soft light from the house and looking like an angel. “Hey,” Jasper whispered back, giving her a faint half-smile as he reached to take her hand. He toed out of his sneakers and bent to snag them up before he stepped inside, just so he wouldn’t squeak and track mud in. He didn’t want to leave any sign behind that could get Jules in trouble.
Jules didn't mind that he was wet, and she was silently appreciative that he had picked up his muddy shoes because she hadn't even considered that. Keeping his hand held tightly in hers, Jules shut the back door quietly and began to lead Jasper toward the stairs and up to her room. She wanted to talk to him, but knew they probably needed to wait until they were in her room with the door locked. Jules felt like her mom would be super alert and suspicious of her for awhile and she didn't want to give Margaret any reason to peek out of her bedroom. Jasper smelled like cigarettes and rain and Jules had to keep from pulling him in close to breathe him in. That would probably be weird.
Once they were inside her room, Jules exhaled softly and shut the door to lock it behind them. She wasn't sure if Jasper would be staying long or not, but they could deal with the sneaking out when the time came. "You can just leave your shoes there," Jules said motioning to the floor near the door. If the carpet got gross, she would just clean it up. No big. "Do you want a towel to dry off or anything?"
Jasper walked as quietly as possible through the house with her, glancing around them and keeping an ear out for parents, or Jules’s stepbrother. Everything was quiet though, and they made it to the sanctuary of her room safely. “Nah, think I’m okay.” Jasper set his sneakers down where Jules indicated and started peeling his jackets off. He had a hoodie under his leather coat, and Jasper unzipped it and shrugged out of both layers, leaving him in a dry t-shirt. His jeans were pretty wet though, so he started to strip out of those, then hesitated. “This okay?” he asked Jules softly, glancing down at his fingers on his fly. It was her house, she knew the acceptable risk better than he did. “Just so I don’t get your bed wet.”
Jules stared at Jasper dumbly for a second, wondering why he was asking, but then nodded and walked over to sit down on her bed. "Yeah, it's fine," she said, because why wouldn't it be? She wasn't afraid of her mom barging in or anything. The door was locked and they would be fine if they were quiet. Jason's room was closer than her mom's was, and she knew for a fact that he wasn't going to bother her. She would have offered to dry his jeans for her, but that would mean going all the way downstairs to the utility room and that would be just as risky as letting him in had been. "If you want you can hang them up over the towel rack in the bathroom. It's right above the vent, so... I mean they won't get super dry fast or anything, but it might be better than just leaving them on the floor."
Jasper had snuck into girls’ houses before, but never Jules’s, and he had the impression that her mom was more nosy and controlling than most of the parents of girls he’d dated in the past. Maybe that wasn’t true, but it was just in his head. Jasper nodded and stepped out of his jeans, padding into Jules’s bathroom to hang them up where she suggested. He peeled his socks off too and pulled the elastic tie out of his hair to let it down. It was only damp, the hood had protected most of it, but he kind of had a headache and every small release of pressure helped. Jasper fluffed and ran his fingers through it as he emerged again and moved to join Jules on her bed. He still felt tired down to his bones and unbelievably sad, but he was still glad to be there. “Hey,” he murmured as he looked over at her with a tiny smile. Jasper leaned in to give her a soft kiss.
Jules was waiting for him on the bed, feeling selfishly happy that he was there, even if they just laid there and slept for awhile. Jules kissed him back and reached up to run a hand through his hair. "Hi," she said quietly, letting her fingers slide through the strands slowly. Jasper looked tired, but that wasn't surprising. He probably wasn't sleeping much. Neither was she, but for completely different reasons and once again, Jules felt horribly helpless. It wasn't fair that there was literally nothing she could do to make any of this better. "Want to lay down?" she murmured. "Do you need anything?" Jules didn't mind going downstairs on her own to grab him something to drink or eat. She had no idea if he was taking care of himself while Amelia was missing, or if anyone was doing it for him.
Jasper’s stomach was empty and he was weak and tired, but he didn’t feel like eating, either. He had no appetite. He’d forced some food down here and there, but not much of it and on no consistent schedule. He was pretty sure he’d already lost weight with all of this, but he couldn’t care. How could he eat when Amelia might not be getting food? How could he sleep when she might not be able to? Jasper technically knew that he had to fuel his body to keep going, but that seemed so unimportant. “I dunno,” he murmured, slipping his arm around Jules, hand resting on her hip. Her fingers felt soothing in his hair and he didn’t want her to stop. “Been a while since I ate, but ...” He shrugged. Laying down sounded good, but it was currently hard to make that decision either. He’d gotten himself there, drawn to Jules’s presence, but that was about the best he could do at the moment.
That wasn't surprising at all. Jules frowned and brushed her hand through his hair again before she began to scoot off the bed. "I'll go downstairs and get you something to eat. There's probably leftovers from dinner--" Whatever that happened to be tonight. "-- or I can make you a sandwich. I'll get you some water too." Maybe he didn't have an appetite, but he needed to eat anyway. If he didn't, he would just end up passing out and what good would that do anyone? "I'll be like... ten minutes tops, okay?" Jules wasn't worried about getting caught. Considering she had slept through dinner, if her mom heard her or got up, she would just assume Jules was making herself food.
Jasper wanted to cling to her and stop her from getting up and leaving him, but he didn’t. It would probably make her feel better to feed him, that seemed to be a running theme with people during all this, since they couldn’t help any other way. He was pretty sure nothing at all was going to make him feel any better, so somebody might as well. “Okay,” Jasper answered, watching her head for the door. “I’ll be here,” he added with a tiny bit of dull humor. He kind of wished he could just stay there, live in Jules’s room, be her kept boy or something, and hide away from everybody and everything else in the world. It was all shit now anyway, everything but this.
Sure, getting Jasper food made her feel useful, but she was more concerned that he might not be eating or anything. She ended up making him a sandwich and grabbing a bottle of water, and then a package of cookies, some grapes and a bag of chips. It was probably way too much, but oh well. She juggled everything in her arms and returned upstairs to her bedroom. Somehow she managed to get back inside her room without dropping anything, and Jules kicked the door shut as quietly as possible with the heel of her foot before carrying the food over to her bed. "You don't have to eat anything if you don't want to," Jules said, dropping the bottle of water, chips and package of cookies on the bed before placing the sandwich plate and grapes on her nightstand. "But... I mean, I can get you something else too, if you want it. I'm not going to try and shove food in your mouth, but, you should take care of yourself too."
While Jules was gone, Jasper had flopped backward onto her bed and stared up at her ceiling. Part of him felt guilty for being there, like he shouldn’t get to indulge in anything nice or comforting at all. But Jasper felt like if he didn’t have anything to cling to, he would end up just like his dad -- hopeless and constantly drunk. He hadn’t even been smoking any weed lately, needing to stay alert Just In Case ... maybe he needed to fix that. And offer Gavin some. Or something stronger. Jasper propped himself up on his elbows when Jules came back, then tiredly pushed himself back up to sitting. His stomach clenched, though he wasn’t sure if it was from hunger or queasiness. He reached for the water bottle first, took a sip, then scooted closer to the nightstand to pull a few grapes free to start with. “This is great, baby, thanks,” he murmured to Jules. He knew he had to eat, so he would try.
Jules crawled up onto the bed, scooting back until she was sitting up against the headboard. She reached out to rub his back a little. It wasn't much, but it was all she could really do at the moment. But she was glad he was there. Jules knew their relationship was still new, but she wanted him to feel like he could come see her when things were rough. "How's your dad doing?" Jules asked. Probably just as bad as Jasper, if not worse. But maybe Jasper needed, or wanted, to talk and she could at least listen. Or maybe he wouldn't want to talk at all. If he wanted to just eat and then lay there with her, that would be okay too.
Jasper was glad she stayed close, her hand against his back felt nice. He tried to eat where he couldn’t get crumbs in her bed, slowly starting to make his way through the simple meal she’d brought him. He was dully happy he’d come to her, though he hadn’t really been sure he ought to at the time. This was much better than staying at home, mostly alone. “Awful,” he answered her question honestly, glancing up at her. “He’s pretty much staying drunk, he doesn’t even wanna look anymore ...” Jasper shrugged a shoulder. It seemed like Gavin had given up on Amelia coming home already, and that made him feel all kinds of shit that he was currently too tired to really feel. He ate some more instead. “Pretty sure he blames my mom.”
Everyone had their own way of coping, Jules supposed, though she couldn't help but feel like it sucked that Jasper's dad wasn't even looking anymore. They hadn't found her yet, so it was possible... right? Jules wondered if her mom would give up after a few days if Jules went missing. She continued to rub his back as she gave that some thought and Jules felt like she was zoning out for a moment, her mind going down a dark road before she snapped to. Licking her lips, Jules slid her hand up to run it over his shoulder. "Do you?" she asked. "Blame your mom?"
It did suck. All of it sucked. Jasper had kind of known that his father was depressed and pretty much a miserable ass in general, but this seemed to have taken him lower than Jasper had ever seen him. He just couldn’t imagine giving up. Not yet. It hadn’t even been a week. And while he’d played and replayed every horrible scenario for Amelia he could think of over and over in his head, he wasn’t giving her up for dead. He couldn’t. He slowly chewed another bite of sandwich as he considered Jules’s question, then shook his head. “No. I blame this town.” It was an evil place, Gavin had said so and Jasper had gotten a glimpse of it, but there was no confirmation like having your sister taken. Speaking of ... he looked over at his girlfriend again. “How are you? Any more like, mirror stuff?”
That was probably a fair assessment. Everyone kind of knew that Point Pleasant wasn't normal. It was just easy to ignore that part. At least until something scary happened, then it was impossible to pretend or go back to the way things were before. Jasper had encountered those black eyed kids, and his sister was missing. And Jules, well... she wasn't terribly surprised by his question, but it still threw her a little that she merely blinked at him for a moment, at least until she realized she didn't want to tell him about the sleepwalking, or the three guys she was going to meet. It wasn't that she wanted to keep it a secret, but he looked tired and miserable and he was worried about Amelia. Jules would have felt like the shittiest girlfriend if she dumped her stuff on top of all of that. So she finally shook her head, feeling guilty about the lie, even if she had good intentions behind it. "No," she murmured. "I'm okay, Jasper. I mean, considering everything." Jules thought about telling him that her mom definitely knew about them now, but that wasn't a pleasant conversation either. "I'm just worried about you."
They might not have been together for terribly long yet, but Jasper felt like he had a pretty good sense of his girlfriend. He was pretty sure she was holding something back, and he hated that he was somewhat grateful for it. Not that he didn’t care, he was worried about her too, but Jasper felt full up and burnt out on worry. He wasn’t sure he could handle any more of it. He nodded and ate another few bites of the sandwich before setting it all aside. Jasper washed it down with water, then moved to stretch out next to Jules. He scooted in close to her on his side, slipping his arm around her hips and settling his head against her breast. He wanted to tell her how much he appreciated her concern and her being there for him. He knew it wasn’t fair. They were still so young, this was too heavy, Jules hadn’t signed up for this when they started going out. They were supposed to be having fun. “Don’t get mad, but ... you don’t ... have to stick it out with me,” he murmured quietly. “I dunno how long this is gonna last, and I don’t wanna drag you down or anything, you know?”
Jules didn't think Jasper would push it, even if he knew she was lying. Even if he had, she might have lied some more. A part of her didn't want to say anything about what was going on until she knew more about it, whenever that would be. And if Amelia stayed missing... Jules wasn't sure she would feel comfortable telling Jasper anything unless she had to. He had enough on his mind. When Jasper moved in beside her, Jules settled comfortably, her hand lifting to stroke his hair. It paused only briefly when he started to speak and she frowned, not really feeling angry at his words, but more... hurt than anything. She knew he didn't mean anything by it, but it sounded like he was giving her an out, like she would want to or something. "Would you do that to me?" Jules asked after a moment of silence, her tone fairly calm, all things considered. "Ditch me if things got too real, or hard?"
Jasper knew it wasn’t something she wanted to hear, but the part of him that didn’t believe he was worthy of really being loved, or didn’t understand how that even worked insisted that he give Jules an out. From where he was sitting, all he could see was a foggy future of misery and grief. If they never found Amelia, alive or dead, how could he move on from that? How could he ever be fun again, or even horny again? Everything seemed so bleak. He would just fall into bottles of pills and booze and mourn his baby sister for forever. Jules deserved better than that. Jasper just didn’t think he could be better. “No,” he murmured, though part of him said that he would. He would ditch her, because he was a piece of shit and that was what pieces of shit did. “And I don’t mean like ... you want to. Just that I’d understand. If it’s too heavy, for too long.”
Jules wanted to tell him that it would get better, but she had no way of knowing that, and it probably wasn't something he wanted to hear. It wasn't her sister missing, so she knew she had no idea what he was really feeling. But she also knew she wasn't going to ditch him. Whether he knew it or not, he needed her, and she didn't want an out. Maybe Jules wasn't emotionally equipped to deal with this kind of stuff, but then, maybe she was. It was like Jason told her, all she could do was be there for him, which was what she was trying to do. "You know, I meant it when I told you I loved you," Jules said, her fingers still stroking through his hair. "I wasn't lying. I think ditching you when you're going through this is probably, like, the opposite of love. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here whenever you want me to be, okay?"
It wasn’t like Jasper had grown up really knowing what love was. It wasn’t something he had much experience in, and even less experience in the romantic sort of love. He felt a lot for Jules, more than any girl he’d ever dated, and he definitely wanted her right there with him. But he knew that some people stayed missing for years and years and right then he couldn’t see a way to carry on and have a normal life if that was the case here. But for the here and now ... he selfishly didn’t want to lose this, the only really good thing in his life. Jasper closed his eyes, focusing on how Jules’s fingers felt in his hair, his thumb rubbing gently against her hip. “Thank you,” he whispered after a long silence. Jasper wasn’t sure what else he could say to that -- it seemed like there was too much to say that no words could touch. “‘Cause I need you.”
"Well, I'm here," Jules murmured. It didn't occur to her to think ahead, let alone dump Jasper because he was upset and depressed that his sister went missing. Jules let the silence settle around them, her fingers still stroking through his hair. She really had no idea what would happen if they never found Amelia, but it was really too horrible to think about, so she didn't. It was kind of nice just laying there with him, despite the circumstances. It was quiet, except for the rain outside her window. Jules selfishly wanted Jasper to stay for awhile, preferably all night, even if they just slept. "Want to stay?" she asked. "No school tomorrow and mom and my stepdad will be up early to leave for work..."
Any other time, Jasper might have worried about that silence, or felt weird and bad that he couldn’t fill it, or occupy their mouths some other fun way, but it seemed right tonight. Sometimes there just weren’t words, and he was glad that Jules didn’t seem antsy or anything. She really was being there for him, and while it wasn’t something he was used to, it was definitely something he appreciated. He opened his eyes and thought for a moment about her offer, then nodded against her breast before he looked up at her. “Yeah, I wanna stay,” he murmured. Sleeping curled up against Jules sounded good to him, and the fact that they could sleep in and maybe spend some time together in the morning was even better. After giving Jules a gentle squeeze, Jasper rolled over to get up so he could grab his phone and text his father. He’d been trying to stay in touch more consistently about his whereabouts, for obvious reasons.
It felt like it had been awhile since they slept in the same bed together, so Jules was pleased when Jasper agreed, even if it was just sleeping. Jules was still happy about the idea of Jasper being pressed up against her while she slept. All she had to do was hope she didn't end up sleepwalking again or have some creepy ass dream in the middle of the night. "Do you want to watch some television?" she asked, rolling over to grab the remote from the other nightstand, just in case he wanted something mindless on in the background. She would get up and turn off the light too, since she didn't want to deal with it once they got comfortable again.
Jasper sat down on the edge of the bed again and texted Gavin, keeping it short and to the point. He wasn’t even sure his dad would notice him being gone in the first place, but just in case he did. In spite of the moment they’d had after Ms. Harris left the house, Jasper still didn’t feel very close to him. Maybe they were both just bad at that. Maybe they needed to get stoned together, he didn’t know. “Yeah, sure,” he answered her question, then stripped his t-shirt off once that was done and settled in beside Jules again. He stretched out on his side and propped his head up on one hand. Jasper knew he wouldn’t pay attention to anything on the screen, but maybe the background noise would be nice and soothing. Some sort of forced normalcy.
"Hold on a sec," Jules murmured before slipping out of bed to turn off the light. Then she undressed quickly and pulled on some pajama shorts and a t-shirt. She crawled back into bed beside Jasper, pressing a soft kiss against his chin before she got comfortable. Jules wondered how much he had slept since his sister went missing, and if he would be able to sleep tonight. She had napped for awhile after cheer practice, and she wasn't feeling overly drowsy, but she wouldn't mind it at all if he fell asleep before she did. She scooted in close to Jasper, once again wishing she had the right things to say, but knowing those words probably didn't even exist.
Jasper watched Jules change from his spot on the bed, feeling just slight stirrings of male appreciation. It was a very stupid thing to even care about, but it was kind of depressing. A couple of weeks ago, he wouldn’t have let her get other clothes on without pulling her into bed with him. He just didn’t feel like himself at all, and it was weird and disconcerting. God, he didn’t want to end up like Gavin for the rest of his life, depressed and drinking and alone and miserable. He cuddled in tight against Jules as soon as she was back within reach, pressing a kiss to her cheek and then her jaw before he nuzzled into her neck and breathed her in deep, his arm around her. He hadn’t been sleeping well at all, but maybe having Jules right there with him would help fix that, at least for one night.
Jules's lips curved faintly in the dim room when Jasper nuzzled her, and she ran her hand through his hair again, not minding it at all when he cuddled up next to her. They watched television in silence, though it didn't take long for Jasper's breathing to change and Jules knew he had fallen asleep. She kept stroking his hair until her own eyelids started to grow heavy again and Jules managed to find the remote in her bed to turn off her television. The room plunged into total darkness. The sound of Jasper's breathing and the rain outside lulled her to sleep rather quickly, but she stayed close to his body, comforted by its warmth.
It was easy to slip into sleep with Jules still petting him, surrounded by her presence and her sweet smell, and Jasper stayed asleep for a while. When he woke up, it was slowly, in tiny increments. He’d been having an actual pleasant dream, possibly helped along by the soft press of Jules’s ass against his crotch. They’d shifted into spooning, with Jasper’s arm draped over her waist. Still half asleep and drifting warmly in the dream, he pushed his face against the back of her neck. Her skin was so soft and she felt so good in his arms, Jasper didn’t ever want to leave that spot. His dick was halfway hard and that felt nice too, so he pushed it gently against her as his hand moved to cup one of her breasts. It was nice not to think at all, he wanted to keep doing that.
Jules was sleeping rather peacefully for once, probably because she had a feeling that if she started to toss and turn, or even get up while sleepwalking, Jasper would be able to help her. Probably. Jules was generally a light sleeper unless she was stoned or drunk, so when Jasper cupped her breast, she started to stir into consciousness. It took only a few hazy moments for her to realize it was still the middle of the night, and it was still raining against her window. But Jasper's breath was hot against her neck and Jules could feel his hardening cock pressed against her backside. Her brain was too fuzzy to question it, or ask him if he was okay. A part of her felt like if she spoke it would somehow break the spell, or whatever, but she gently pushed back against him instinctively, wanting to feel more of him, and maybe encouraging it, wanting him to know it was okay. Keeping her eyes closed, Jules drew her arm up to cover his hand at her breast with her own.
Maybe there was some part of his subconscious that wanted to make sure Jasper didn’t wake up all the way. He was more than good with that, appreciative, even. As much as he could be when he was in that twilight space between asleep and awake. Jules’s small movement felt good, and he exhaled a bit heavier against her neck before he pressed his lips against it. They were lazy, no-effort kisses, but that felt fine right then. Jasper pushed back, his hand tightening against Jules’s soft flesh. He could feel her bare legs against his, but the rest of her was wearing too many clothes. He brushed his thumb against her nipple, then moved his hand down to slip it under her t-shirt and press it against her warm stomach for a moment as he rocked his hips again. Jasper wasn’t super clear on what he was doing, he just knew it felt good and he hadn’t felt good in forever, it seemed like. He gave her neck some more sleepy kisses and moved his hand back up to her chest to gently grope her some more.
Jules didn't care what Jasper was doing, nor did she mind it. He could grope her all night if he wanted to. Or he could grope for awhile until he fell back asleep, if it made him feel better. But she had to admit she liked how his lips felt against her skin and she reached back to rest her hand against his hip. Everything had felt so heavy and sad lately, and right now it just felt... quiet and floaty and sleepy. It was a nice change, even if it was only temporary. There wasn't much Jules could do to help Jasper other than just be there for him when he wanted her to be, and that included this. Jules rubbed her ass against his crotch slowly without a lot of pressure, a soft exhaled of breath escaping her lips.
Jasper hadn’t given much thought to how awake Jules was yet, but he wasn’t giving much thought to anything at all, and that was a good thing. She was moving though, responding to him, and that made this feel instinctually okay. Her breast felt so nice against his hand, softly heavy, and her bare nipple felt tantalizingly good against his thumb. He shifted a little bit, moving his mouth further around Jules’s neck while he just relished touching her. The dark and the rain and the lingering sleepiness made everything feel dreamlike -- distant but not. Jasper’s cock was fully hard now, and he pressed it more firmly against Jules’s ass, wishing he could make their clothes disappear so he could just slip inside of her with no effort. It wasn’t even from a desire to come, he just wanted to be that close. Jasper nuzzled at Jules’s ear, kissing her neck some more.
Jasper's lips against her skin sent tiny, pleasant shivers down her spine. She could feel the stirrings of arousal between her legs and she tried not to move too restlessly, not wanting to disrupt the sleepy, dreamlike trance they both seemed to be under. After a few more moments, though, Jules slowly and carefully shifted onto her back, and then rolled over to face Jasper. She cracked open her eyes only enough to find his lips with her own before they fell shut again, her leg sliding over his hip. It felt so nice to just be touching again. Not that they hadn't been before, but that had been Jules holding him, comforting him. Maybe this was a different kind of comfort, but it also felt sort of needed, even if neither of them were fully awake.
He would’ve been happy to stay spooning, to just get her bottoms off and slide into Jules from behind while he held her close. He didn’t want to wake up enough to put a lot of physical effort into anything. But kissing was good too, and the weight of her leg over his hip was nice. Jasper slipped his arm firmly around her and pulled her body in tight against his. He kissed Jules without worrying about his breath at all, soft and clingy kisses that took their time getting deeper. Jasper’s hand slipped up the back of Jules’s shirt to caress her bare skin some more. He didn’t know if this would help or not, didn’t know if it was right or not, didn’t know anything, really. Just that he needed Jules’s skin against his, just to feel human again for a quiet little while.
For a long time when they started hooking up, Jules and Jasper rarely took their time just to kiss and touch each other. Mostly because they didn't have the time, considering they were parked in his car somewhere. But it was nice just to make out sometimes, to let that slow burn start to build and intensify. She didn't care about his breath, or hers, only how his lips felt and the way his hand stroked against her skin. With his shirt already off, Jules slid her hand to his waist and around to the small of his back, her fingertips pressing softly into his flesh. Their kisses were slow and lazy and her lips were beginning to feel nicely swollen. After another moment, Jules couldn't help but slip her hand down into the waistband of his boxer briefs, just to touch him.
There was something very different about this than making out anywhere else. Or at any other time, really. Jasper had felt passionate over Jules of course, felt pulled by pressure in his chest and his groin both, like she was made of something magnetic that he couldn’t resist. This felt different though. It was more passive, like gravity. All he had to do was relax and fall into her, and he wanted nothing more than to do that, and let himself get lost in her. A soft groan escaped him when Jules’s hands roamed down into his underwear. The touch felt intimate but not strictly sexual, and that felt perfect at the moment. Jasper’s hand slid down the curve of Jules’s back until he did the same, slipping it into the back of her sleep shorts.
Jules sighed softly against Jasper's mouth, her fingers slowly exploring his length, hard and hot against her palm. Her body was starting to feel overly warm, but not necessarily in an uncomfortable way save for the ache between her legs. It was a strange sensation, to not want to move too much or break away from Jasper, but to crave more at the same time. She deepened their kiss, though there was no sense of urgency in it. Every stroke and lick of their tongues together just send a fresh surge of heat to her core. Her fingers grazed his cock, slipping down to where she could cup and squeeze his balls gently before stroking softly upward again to the tip.
She was making Jasper feel achy too, and it felt so sweet and needed. If he thought about it too much he would ruin it for himself and start to feel guilty, so he didn’t. He just left his brain half-off and let himself feel everything. Jules’s hand was so soft and perfect and she knew every inch of him by now but it still felt exploratory. Jasper made a deep, needy sound into the kiss, stroking his tongue against hers as his fingers pressed more firmly against her ass. He couldn’t easily reach her to return the favor, but that felt okay at the moment. He just missed being touched by his girlfriend so much, feeling that sense of intimacy. His hips rocked a bit of their own volition, his body craving anything that felt good now.
Everything felt good, even though they weren't naked or getting each other off or anything. And now it was too difficult to stop the soft moans emitting from her throat. Her knee pressed against his hip and she wished she could get close enough to slip him inside of her. Of course, clothes were in the way, but that could be easily remedied... once she was willing to stop kissing Jasper for a few moments. Right now she was too busy tasting his mouth, torturing herself a bit by denying her body what it was starting to desperately crave. She didn't grasp Jasper any harder, but she carefully pulled him free from his boxer briefs so she could touch him easier, her thumb rubbing over the tip of his cock to smear the wetness there.
Moving around to take off clothes and get into a good position felt like way too much effort. Jasper just wanted to merge bodies with Jules without having to change anything about what they were doing. His heart was starting to get its own achy feeling, more emotion leaking into the kissing. He stroked her back and waist and then back down to her hip and ass, pulling her in as close as her arm between them would allow. His hand moved out of her shorts again a moment later, hooking his thumb into the waistband to start pushing them down. They couldn’t go very far at all with her leg up like that, but the message was clear enough. Jules was way too dressed. He didn’t want to stop kissing her either, but he was compelled by every instinct to get closer to her.
She was starting to breathe a little faster, now that her heart rate had quickened and the arousal was intensifying. But she didn't want to pull away from Jasper either. Still, the clothes needed to come off, so Jules slipped her leg from his hip and reluctantly let go of his cock to help him get her pajama shorts down her hips and thighs. It took a bit of wriggling, but she finally managed to get them off, kicking them somewhere to the end of the bed. With that done, Jules kissed him again, wondering if he felt the intimacy between them as acutely as she did. Sometimes - or, a lot of the time - it was purely sexual, intense lust that drove them when they were getting naked together. Yes, feelings were involved now too, but the darkened, quiet atmosphere around them felt more emotional than anything else, and Jules wanted more of it.
Jasper could feel it. It was all he was feeling, in fact. His cock was hard and leaking, and he wanted badly to be inside of Jules, but he didn’t feel hungry for the pleasure, he was just hungry for her. It was a strange mindset to find himself in, but a good one. While Jules wiggled out of her shorts, Jasper pushed his boxer briefs down too so he could kick them off. He knew why they hadn’t gone to bed nude, but it still seemed like a dumb decision at the moment. Jasper groaned softly into the renewed kiss, his tongue hunting for Jules’s as his hand smoothed over her hip and pulled her thigh back up to where it had been. The angle wasn’t right to push into her like he wanted to, but when he pulled Jules against him, the top of Jasper’s cock nudged against her heat. He rocked his hips to rub himself against her, his hand moving to clutch her ass again.
When Jasper showed up, and then agreed to spend the night, Jules honestly hadn't been expecting this to happen, so it hadn't occurred to her to sleep nude. But she wasn't complaining. The inconvenience of it was minor, and soon enough they were both naked - Jasper completely and Jules from the waist down at least - and kissing again. Moaning softly against his mouth, Jules rocked her hips with this, shivering when his cock slid deliciously against her swollen clit. As badly as she wanted him inside of her, she was willing to draw it out for the both of them awhile longer, teasing their bodies with the promise of what was to come. Besides, he felt amazing pressed against her and she had a feeling she would be feeling his lips on hers long after he was gone tomorrow. Jules brought a hand up to brush it against his jaw, her thumb stroking the his skin as she kissed him deep and let it linger.
Jasper probably wouldn’t ever admit it out loud, but he loved it when she touched his face while she kissed him. It felt romantic and tender, which weren’t things he was used to feeling. Maybe that was stupid and backwards, since he was the dude and Jules wasn’t, but whatever. He was allowed to like things, and he liked that. Jasper could feel how hot and wet she was between her legs, and he liked that too. He hadn’t even gotten his fingers on her and she felt beyond ready to go. Jasper couldn’t be impatient though, the soft and dreamy quality of what they were doing was too nice. And too necessary. He pulled back from Jules’s mouth only to breathe, his cock aching sweetly as he rubbed against her clit and spread her wetness all over both of them. All the emotion was starting to get to him, and Jasper’s throat felt thicker as he nudged his forehead and nose against hers.
It was impossible to keep her hands to herself whenever Jasper was around. How she had managed it in school for those first few weeks was a mystery, though she supposed it helped that they didn't share any classes together. But his body was a magnet for her hands and somehow it was easier to be vulnerable and tender in the dark than it was any other time. She knew how he felt about love and everything that supposedly came along with the word, but here and now she wasn't afraid of doing the wrong thing. Jules's breathing had grown a bit more shallow, and she didn't mind the quick break in kisses to nuzzle his nose with her own, her hand still cupping his jaw. The heat between her legs was throbbing with anticipation now, desperately waiting to be filled and satisfied. Jules kissed Jasper again, briefly now, before she pressed into his body, her hand pushing gently against his chest to get him onto his back so she could straddle him. Everything still felt languid and sleepy, but she wanted Jasper inside of her now and she didn't think she could bear to wait any longer.
Jasper took the cue and rolled onto his back. He hadn’t wanted to move much so he could keep himself as asleep as possible through this, so his brain didn’t kick in. He didn’t want to think about anything until the morning. If even then. But if Jules was going to be on top, that cut his effort requirement down pretty low. He was good with that. Jasper moved both hands to Jules’s hips as she slipped her body over his, arching his neck up to keep kissing her as much as he could from there. His chest and throat still felt overly full and tight like he might start crying at any time, but for once this week it didn’t feel like it came from sadness. There was just too much to feel for Jules at the moment. He tried to put that flood of emotion into his kisses and the way he held onto her body while she got arranged.
Jules kept her mouth on his, her breasts brushing against his chest even as she reached between them to guide him inside of her. She stayed close even as she rolled her hips and felt him slip inside of her. Exhaling softly against his lips, Jules sunk down his length until he was seated deeply inside of her. She kissed him again, keeping still for only a moment or two before she began to move. Jules wasn't in any real hurry, even if her body was. She was more than willing to draw this out as long as she could, distract Jasper from everything going on in his head and outside her door. He felt amazing inside of her, but then, he always did. It just felt different on some level. It wasn't just her nerve endings that felt raw and exposed, and Jules kept her eyes shut, her hand cupping his face as her tongue slipped past his lips again to taste him.
If walking into Jules’s room had been like coming into a sanctuary, feeling her slide down around his cock was like entering the holiest of places. Jasper let out a long, slow breath with a soft sound inside of it, his arms slipping up to wrap loosely around her. He didn’t want to get in the way of her movements, but he wanted to keep her close at the same time. He wished her shirt was off so he could feel her whole body against his, but he didn’t want to expend the effort to get her to take it off, either. It was enough to feel her strong thighs encasing his hips, and her hand on his face, and the soft skin of her lower body under his hands, and the grip of her heat around his cock. Jasper couldn’t stay completely still, rocking with Jules as he kissed her deep and slow. He wanted so badly to just stay right there, forever, and forget everything else.
Jules knew she had to keep quiet. It was one thing to fuck Jasper during a party, or when her parents weren't home. But it was the middle of the night and her family's bedrooms were down the hall. Not even the rain would be able to drown her out when things really got going, but thankfully everything felt so soft and slow, though not any less intense than how sex usually was between them, that Jules's moans were quiet, muffled by Jasper's mouth. Her hips rocked lazily against his and once she needed to breathe, Jules ducked her head down to press her face against his neck. He felt so good inside of her and Jules was able to block out all of the noise in the back of her mind to focus solely on Jasper and the way their bodies moved together. They both needed this, though Jules wasn't under the impression that it would fix anything. But it would at least help them forget their problems for a little while.
It felt so lovely and insulated, being there in the dark in her bed, with the rain beating against the house and nothing but Jules around him. Her smell, the feel of her body over and around his, her soft tantalizing sounds in his ear. He slid one hand up to slip into her hair when she nuzzled in against his neck, his own breath coming heavier as the pleasure started to really unfold. Their sex was so often hurried and intense, either because of time or just how badly they wanted one another, this was Different. It was still intense, but in a quieter, softer kind of way that made his chest feel overly full. It felt physically good, of course, but he was in no danger of coming any time soon. Jasper kept moving with her, getting lost in the way she breathed and whimpered, his fingers flexing in her hair. He turned his face in closer to Jules’s, a soft groan of his own escaping him. “I love you,” he breathed, the words bubbling up out of him without conscious thought. It felt right though. It was true, and life was so short and precious and didn’t that mean he should say it while he still could?
Jules had sunk into the throbby sensations that had taken over her body and she was so caught up in how she was feeling that it took a moment for Jasper's words to really sink into her consciousness. Had she heard him right? Jules lifted her head, her hands pressed against the bed just above his shoulders. She looked down at him, her movements slowing for a moment as she realized what he had said to her. Still breathing heavily, Jules studied him in the dark, her chest feeling tight and full in the best of ways even as doubt tried to damper the moment. Was he saying it because they were having sex and everything felt so good after such a horrible week? Was it the moment? Or did he really mean it? Jules decided she didn't even care right then, because of how it made her feel. She knew the hang ups Jasper had with those three words, and she didn't think he would actually say them if he didn't mean them, otherwise he would have just said it after Jules told him first. A small smile played at her lips and Jules kissed him deep and slow and full of everything she was feeling in that moment.
Jasper had opened his eyes back up when Jules slowed down to look at her shadowy face. He knew in a dim and hazy way that it was probably surprising, considering his previous attitude around the subject ... but that had been before his baby sister had disappeared, probably into the arms of a horrible fate. That seemed to have changed his perspective. Jasper had the vague feeling that a lot of things in his life were going to be split between Before Amelia Disappeared and After. He ran his hand up Jules’s back when she bent down to kiss him again, returning it with equal depth of emotion. He did love her, as much as he could love anybody, more than he’d ever loved anyone who wasn’t family, and he wanted her to know it. Jasper let out a soft moan and kept rocking his hips up, wanting to be as deeply buried inside of Jules as he could get.
If this had been any other time, and they were having sex under any other circumstances, Jules would have probably stopped to talk about it, because it was a big deal and it felt necessary to talk about. But she didn't want to talk at all tonight, or this morning, whatever time it was. Lingering at his mouth, Jules rolled her hips, wishing she could keep the pace lazy and slow but the pleasure was starting to burn and build deep inside of her, and it was hard to continue to deny herself. Jules moaned softly and straightened before tugging her t-shirt up and off of her body. She let it fall to the bed beside her and slid her hands over Jasper's chest. The angle had changed ever so slightly, but it still felt amazing and Jules's eyes fell shut, her teeth biting into her lower lip to try and muffle the sounds emitting from her throat.
Not talking was perfect for Jasper. He wouldn’t have known what to say anyway, except repeating himself. Anything else would take more brain power than he cared to muster at the moment. Just letting it be and continuing to make love to Jules was all he wanted to do. Jasper’s eyes opened again when Jules sat up to take her shirt off, the very faint light in the room playing across her beautiful breasts. It was almost heartbreaking, how gorgeous she was. Jasper slid his hands up the curves of her sides, then inward to cup her tits, letting out his own tiny grunts and moans as they moved together. He could feel her getting tighter around him, and God, he wanted to make her come. Jasper didn’t even care if they stopped right after that -- his own pleasure was there, but muted and unimportant. He just wanted to make his girl feel good.
She always loved how he touched her, the way his hands made her shiver, no matter what her mood. Jules slid her hands over his arms, running them up to where he cupped her breasts. Her hips were rocking harder now as she opened her eyes to look down at him, her heart seizing with emotion. Jules had told him once that she could have been in love before, she just didn't know it because she wasn't sure what love was supposed to feel like. But now she definitely knew and she definitely knew she hadn't been in love before now. It was probably cheesy and silly, given how young they were, but Jules didn't even care. Even if things imploded later and ended terribly, Jules was never going to forget this, or him. She could feel her body straining toward orgasm and her moans grew in the quiet room. Honestly, she couldn't care anymore if someone else in the house heard her. Jules breathed his name, a touch of desperation slipping into her voice as she moved against him harder, faster.
He always loved this moment, right before Jules went off, and he’d often thought of her in his mind as his own personal porn star. But it felt different this time, even more intense in a way that had little to do with his dick. He was drowning in all the emotion radiating between them, his chest and throat tight with it, the air heavier and sweeter somehow. She was getting louder, but he’d forgotten all about her family too. The door was locked, the rest of the world didn’t matter. “Yeah,” he whispered back, happily and mindlessly caught up in all the beauty and pleasure of it. “Come on, baby ...” Jasper pinched her nipples between his fingers, rocking quicker and harder under her, hungry to feel her come around him.
The stimulation from his hands are her nipples prompted a low moan from Jules's lips as she began to ride Jasper harder, wanting to intensify the friction between their bodies. She was so damn close that she forgot everything and everyone else for those few moments, focused solely on her own pleasure and getting to that delicious peak. At some point she reached back to grip his thighs, arching her back as the subtle shift in the angle finally triggered the explosion. It overwhelmed her, a sharp shout catching in her throat as her body began to convulse tightly above and around him. Her nails dug into his flesh and Jules couldn't help but roll her hips against his through her orgasm until everything finally began to slow down and settle, the tiniest of aftershocks causing her to shiver now as she came back down from the high.
Jasper’s own core got tight and his balls felt too full while Jules rode him for all she was worth. The sting of her nails felt good in his thighs, and he had the sudden, powerful desire for her to slap him. Scratch him harder. Maybe break his nose. Make him bleed. Make it hurt for real. It was strong enough to throw him off inside, but he kept moving with Jules until she peaked, then rode it out with her the best way he knew how. Her orgasm felt hot and lovely around him, but god did he want her nails raking down his chest at the same time. It was a weird want, one he’d never really had before. A bit of pain here and there was fun, but Jasper wanted to be made to cry. He let his hands slip down to her hips as she slowed, swallowing thickly.
With her heart still racing in her chest, Jules opened her eyes and peered down at Jasper. In that moment she wished she had the magic words to say to make all of this better. 'I love you' meant a lot, but it wasn't enough, not when it came to things like this. Licking her lips, Jules leaned over him again, resting her hands on either side of his head as she dipped her face down to kiss him, now that her breathing was evening out. She was still feeling throbby around his cock, but Jules began to move her hips again, wanting to get him there with her. No, it wouldn't fix anything, but maybe it would make him feel good again, even for a few moments.
He kissed her back with a soft, helpless sort of moan, his fingers tightening on Jules’s hips as she started to move again. It did feel good, but in a weirdly muted way, like his nerves weren’t all engaged. For several moments, Jasper tried to block out the encroaching thoughts -- what if something happened to Jules too, the persistent desire for her to really hurt him, how Amelia might never get this kind of good experience, or had already had much worse done to her, how dare he be fucking his girlfriend and being in love when his baby sister might be dead, was he losing his erection? Shit, shit fuck. He gripped Jules tight enough to stop her and turned his head a little to whisper, “Wait. Wait, stop for a minute ... I can’t --”
Jules stopped when his hands tightened on her hips, lifting her head to look down at him in the darkness. It took her a second or two to realize that he wasn't all that hard anymore. Oh. "Are you okay?" she whispered, already fairly sure she knew the answer. Jules didn't want to make it about her by wondering if she had done something wrong or whatever, but things had sort of been going good, right? She brushed some of his hair away from his face, concern filling her eyes now as she studied him.
Jasper had never wanted to stop in the middle of sex before. Not for any bad reasons, anyway -- people had to pee, sometimes it was going on so long that a smoke break was in order, that kind of shit. But he’d never not wanted to finish. Getting his rocks off was the point, right? As good as Jules felt around him right then, and as much as he wanted to be close to her, it was like his body was losing interest. His brain had woken up too much and it was getting noisy. “Yeah,” he breathed back, even though that was a lie. “Yeah, I just ... need a break, I think.” His breath caught weirdly and so he held it, trying desperately to ignore the sudden sting in his eyes and nose. It was just all too much emotion.
She knew almost immediately that he wasn't okay and Jules didn't even care that his hard on was no longer hard. Yes, a teeny tiny part of her felt like a failure for not being able to help him, even with sex. That was always something she could do, at least, even if she sucked at everything else, and this had never really happened to her before. Still, she couldn't get upset about it right now, because making sure Jasper was okay was more important at the moment. "It's okay," Jules murmured, slipping off of him carefully, but not moving terribly far. She stretched out beside Jasper, propped up on her elbow, her body curled in against his. "What can I do," Jules asked quietly, brushing her hand against his cheek and jaw.
He was glad that she stayed close, because he needed that. Jasper turned onto his own side to face her, pressing in close and slipping his arm around her waist. He tucked his face in against her neck, trying to take deep slow breaths so he wouldn’t start bawling for reasons he couldn’t even fully explain. Starting to cry during sex -- or having to stop so he wouldn’t -- was like ... the most punk-ass thing he could think of, and part of Jasper was thoroughly disgusted with himself at the moment. “I dunno,” he mumbled miserably, his back hitching a little again. “I just ... can’t st-stop thinking about her. M’sorry.”
"It's okay," Jules said again, starting to feel slivers of guilt seep into the haze that had surrounded her since she woke up. Maybe she shouldn't have had sex with him. Maybe they should have just kissed for a little bit and gone back to sleep. And her body was still feeling the afterglow of her orgasm and for a second Jules felt dirty, like she had used him somehow, even though he had been touching and wanting her too. She wanted to apologize, but it felt awkward in her head and she had no idea how to even word it. "You don't have to be sorry," Jules murmured. "I promise it's okay... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
Jasper shook his head a little against her, trying to focus on how she smelled when he breathed her in, instead of all the darkness in his head. Thinking about his baby sister maybe getting raped made him feel dirty. Guilty, like he was somehow responsible for his gender. Like his dick was dangerous. It was all so fucked up. Definitely not something he could think about while he was inside his girlfriend. Jasper pressed into her more, his arm locked around her. “No, don’t, you didn’t do it. I wanted it too,” he murmured to her. “A lot. I just ... started thinking about what might be happening to her, and it just started to feel weird. My fuckin’ brain won’t shut up.” And he’d wanted Jules to hurt him, like maybe how Amelia was being hurt, and that was just weird and probably sick of him.
Well... that would do it, Jules thought. She definitely didn't want to think about that and she hoped to whatever God existed that the next time they had sex, it wouldn't slip into her head. If they had sex again. That wasn't even something to be thinking about at the moment. Ugh, everything felt kind of dark and fucked up all of the sudden and Jules wished she could just shut her eyes and go to sleep and forget about it. At the moment, she would almost prefer creepy monster dreams than thinking about what might have happened to Jasper's sister, so she could only imagine how he felt. Jules slipped her hand into his hair, stroking it slowly and gently. "Try to get some sleep," she murmured, because she didn't know what else to say, or do. Jules couldn't tell him not to think about it, because it wasn't that easy. She didn't want to reassure Jasper that Amelia was fine, because they didn't know that for sure, and he was too smart to believe it.
Jasper was always grateful when someone skipped the opportunity to lie to him. So he was glad that Jules didn’t try to tell him his sister was fine. She wasn’t. He just wanted her to be alive, that was all. And come home. Cradled there in Jules’s neck with her fingers carding through his hair, Jasper finally let himself cry a little. It was quiet and brief, but very tired and very sad. Just enough to take the internal pressure off. He let go of Jules only enough to wipe his face, then settled back into the same position. He was obviously the worst post-sex company ever, but he was so grateful for her being there. Gradually his body started to relax, and Jasper felt exhausted drowsiness pulling at him again. “I do love you though,” he murmured eventually. He wanted her to know that had been genuine and not just In The Moment.
Jules let him cry, once she realized that's what he was doing. She kept stroking his hair, feeling as helpless as she had the night he had cried in her arms in his car. It was a little overwhelming, all the emotions she was feeling. She knew that sometimes it just helped to have a shoulder to cry on when everything else felt hopeless or scary. Eventually Jules felt Jasper start to relax against her, and she was hoping that meant he would fall asleep again. That would probably be the only way he could really shut his brain off. Jules wanted to sleep too, but she felt wide awake now. At least Jasper was there, and even if he was asleep, Jules didn't think she would be afraid if she was curled up beside him. His words prompted her to pause in stroking his hair for only a second before she started up again. "Okay," she whispered. She had almost forgotten for a moment that he had told her he loved her earlier. It wasn't exactly how she had imagined it happening, but nothing was perfect, and the words meant more than the circumstances in which they were spoken. She just hoped he still meant them in the morning. Jules nuzzled her nose against him. "I love you too."
It hadn’t been the most romantic, movie-perfect declaration of love, Jasper knew that somewhere. But when had that been his style? He was a Lucas, maybe it made sense that sort of confession would come amidst tons of pain that had forced him into being vulnerable. Maybe it was fitting. He was fucked up, so everything he did would be fucked up to some degree. He was too tired to overthink it at the moment, he just hoped Jules knew he meant it. Hearing it back felt soothing this time. Reassuring. She had to know she loved him after all this shit, so he believed her more. Jasper just gave a soft hum, his eyes shut now. Everything in him wanted to sleep, to just shut off for as long as he could manage. Jules was soft and sweet-smelling and till petting his hair, and before too long he was drifting off again in her arms.