Who: Jules and Jasper When: afternoon, Tuesday, Jan 9th Where: school and Jules's house Warning: slightly NSFW Status: complete
Jasper hadn’t felt great when he’d woken up Tuesday morning, and if he hadn’t been so close to not graduating, he might’ve skipped school. But he’d forced himself up and dressed and in the car in time to pick up Jules and take them to school. She still didn’t have a car, and it was his pleasant boyfriendly duty to give her a ride to school. He’d started feeling slightly better by the time they arrived, so the urge to turn around and go back home to his bed subsided a bit. Usually school itself made him pretty tired, but oddly enough, as Jasper went through his day he started to feel better. More energized. Then, eventually ... really damn good. Better than he had in a long time, which was kind of weird for a Tuesday, but whatever.
There was a spring in his step and a grin on his face by the time the final bell rang, and Jasper made a beeline for Jules’s locker. He was feeling great and hyped up to see her. He wanted to scoop her up and take her to do something fun, or just to make out somewhere and enjoy each other. No matter what they did, he couldn’t wait to kiss her face!
Jules was feeling all right herself. Better than the last few days, but that was probably because her hands didn't really hurt anymore. Occasionally they tingled in the palms, but nothing bizarre had happened and so she was going to try to focus on the positive of that, rather than being apprehensive about things. Jules was grabbing her coat from her locker when Jasper appeared at her side and she gave him an amused and slightly wary smile at the bright grin on his face.
"Hi," she said, setting her bag down on the floor to pull her coat on. "You look really happy for being in school." Sure, it was the end of school, but Jules knew this was usually the very last place Jasper ever wanted to be. "Did you get high between periods or something?"
Jasper felt really happy for being in school, and the question was probably valid, but it just made him laugh at the moment. “Nope,” he said, beaming at her. “Just happy to see you.” Before Jules could get her coat on, he put his arms around her to hug her close and gave her a sound kiss on the lips. Then he backed off so she could get bundled up. “You got plans? Let’s go somewhere. And you should totally like, call your mom and tell her you’re spending the night with a chick friend and come stay with me tonight.” That seemed like a completely reasonable request to him at the moment. Still smiling, he picked up Jules’s backpack to carry it for her.
Jules slid her arms into her coat, still slightly amused as she buttoned up, watching as he picked up her backpack for her. "Stay the night? I mean, we have school tomorrow..." And she could just imagine trying to get ready for school at Jasper's house that early in the morning. Plus, she wasn't sure if her mom would even let her stay out, even if Jules said she'd be at Vic's. "We can definitely go do something now though? And just see where we end up." She had some homework but Jules figured she could do it later, or in the morning before class or something. Jules slid her hands into pockets to pull out her gloves. "You're in a really good mood... not that it's a bad thing, but... did something happen?"
Jasper didn’t care about school in the morning -- he knew his dad wouldn’t care, and they could just get up and get ready together or something. Maybe he wasn’t thinking it out all the way, but whatever, he still wanted to sleep with Jules and he didn’t want to wait for the weekend to do it. Her answer was good enough though, and Jasper was happy she wanted to hang out with him. He started off down the hall with her toward the parking lot door. Jasper cocked a brow at Jules’s question and glanced over at her. “Damn, am I that much of an asshole usually?” he asked, his tone light and amused. “Naw, nothing happened. Just feeling good, happy to see you, like I said.” He smiled and put his arm around Jules’s shoulders. “How was your day?”
"You're not usually an asshole," Jules teased. It had just been a rough few weeks, so it was hard to find much to be super happy about. But she didn't want to ruin his mood by pointing that out, so she slid her arm around his waist to walk with him towards his car. "Um, my day was fine though. Just like, same old stuff. I start cheer practice again tomorrow after school, so you won't have to take me home or anything. I can grab a ride from one of the other girls. What about you?" School was so tedious and blah lately, but she was glad Jasper was still showing up instead of ditching like he would in the past. They had five months or so until graduation. It felt like forever away, but Jules had a feeling it would hit them fast.
Normally he might have been offended at the suggestion that sometimes he really was an asshole, even if Jasper knew that already, but not today. Today it was just funny. He did pay attention when she talked about her day however, and nodded a bit. Jasper felt a little disappointed that she wouldn’t need rides home anymore, but there was still the morning, and maybe she could ditch practice here and there and come to his house instead. A man could dream, anyway. “Yeah, it was pretty good,” he offered with another smile. “I actually passed all my finals before break, I found out. Some of ‘em not by much, but hey.” Jasper felt pretty damn proud of himself, but he’d been in a great mood even before that.
"You did?" Jules's expression was one of happy surprise, although she supposed she should have tamed the surprise a bit more. It wasn't that she thought Jasper was stupid, because he wasn't, but she knew how much he hated school, and school work. Actually caring enough to try was the thing, and she was glad he had done that. "That's awesome. I didn't pass math by much either, but passing is passing." Jules leaned in a bit more to nuzzle his jaw. "I should totally get you to tutor me from now on." Not that Mak was a bad tutor. In fact, Mak was probably the only reason Jules even passed her final. But whatever. She doubted she would need math math in whatever career she finally decided on. And if she did, that's what her phone was for.
His normal classwork grades were struggling, but Jasper had buckled down for the tests at least, hoping those would give him enough of a boost to make him pass. He really wanted to graduate on time, if only to get the fuck out of school for good. He wasn’t put off by Jules’s tone in the least, he’d been pretty damn surprised himself. Jasper laughed at the suggestion and gave her a squeeze before he let her go to open the door for them. It was cold outside, but it felt crisp and refreshing to Jasper today. Like it was inviting him to go for a hike or something. He was sure Jules wouldn’t be up for that, so he didn’t suggest it, but maybe they could go park somewhere with the heater on and crack the windows. “Glad you passed,” he told her. “You’re way smarter than me, so you’ll be fine.” He gave her head a quick smooch. “Where do you wanna go? Like the marina or shopping or parking or something?”
Shopping? He said he hadn't gotten high in between periods, but he had to be on something if he was offering to take her shopping. He had gone with her in the past when she had asked him to, but Jules knew Jasper well enough to know he didn't enjoy it much. And Jules wasn't going to put him through that today. Instead, she gave him a confused sort of smile as they headed for his car. "Um, we can go anywhere you want. We can go park somewhere if you want to talk or something." Maybe she could figure out why he was so weirdly hyper and chirpy. It felt kind of weird to her for a couple of different reasons, but she didn't want to outright ask him if he was okay and risk irritating him right out of his good mood. "Or if it's too cold, we could go to Moxie's and getting something hot to drink. I don't really have a preference."
Jasper didn’t even like shopping for himself, much less tagging along with anyone else. His mom had done plenty of dragging him along when he was little, and all the memories just added to the dislike of it. He’d tolerated it before for Jules, because he cared about her and she seemed to have fun with it. Plus he liked to imagine her stripping down in the dressing rooms over and over again. It always made him wish she was comfortable sending him more pictures. But today he felt like he would like browsing through aisles of clothes and giving Jules his opinions on what she picked out to try on. Her suggestion about Moxie’s sounded even better though, because they had delicious drinks, and he very suddenly wanted one. “Moxie’s is perfect,” he said with enthusiasm. Jasper dipped his hand into his pocket to take out his keys. “I could use some hot chocolate.” Maybe after they could park. Or walk. Or go shopping, just something. Jasper felt full of energy as he darted around to open the passenger side door of his car for Jules.
He was opening the door for her. It wasn't the first time he had ever done it, but today it just felt weird. That was an accurate word for this whole thing - weird. Jules smiled at him and got into the car, shivering a bit as she pulled her seat belt on. When Jasper got into the car with her, she studied him while trying not to look like she was studying him. She supposed it shouldn't be so odd that Jasper was in a really good mood, and maybe it wouldn't have been strange to her had he been like this a couple of months ago. Or maybe it was difficult for Jules to find any reason to be as happy as Jasper seemed at the moment, so she was projecting her own feelings onto him somehow. Like he should be as tired and uncertain about things as she was. Jules decided to try not to let her mind run away from her. Jasper was allowed to have a good day. She settled back against her seat, her hands in her lap. "So have you talked to Ruby at all about working for her dad?"
If Jasper’s brain hadn’t been full of good feelings, he probably would’ve thought it was weird too. As it was, he just felt good and he wanted to spread that around to the people he cared about. Namely, Jules. She’d been through so much lately, so many hard things, he wanted to make her feel better, he just wasn’t thinking straight about checking with her to see what would actually do that. Jasper plopped into his seat and started the engine up, revving it a bit to help it warm faster. He pulled out a cigarette and cracked the window, once again appreciating the fresh air before he lit up. “Nah not yet, I haven’t seen her much,” he said. “I’m gonna though, soon. Need to start saving! And it’s been a while since I got my hands dirty in a car. Besides with you, of course.” Jasper shot her a wolfish grin as he put the car into gear.
Jules was wondering just how much he would need to save before he could rent a place with Logan. How many checks would that be? She supposed they still had the whole summer before Jules would go somewhere for college, but it was already January and he didn't even have a job yet. There it was, her brain working overtime to freak her out again. Jules exhaled softly and forced the thoughts out of her head for the time being. She didn't even know where she was going to college yet, so why bother thinking about it? Jules smiled and shook her head, thinking about New Year's Eve when they found a quiet place to park so they could have sex. "Did Logan find a job yet?" She wasn't asking to freak her brain out or anything, but she was curious. The last time she saw him was on New Year's Eve and he had been kind of wasted so she hadn't bothered asking.
“Yeah, he got one at the Boathouse, if you can believe they hired his raggedy ass,” Jasper told her with a light laugh. Logan could clean up nicely, and he would have to to keep that job, but it was funny anyway. Thinking about him looking good put a weird squirmy feeling in Jasper’s stomach, some combination of nervousness and arousal, but it didn’t break through the haze of happiness for too long. Jasper just wasn’t going to think about how he cheated on his girlfriend, whom he loved, with his best friend, whom he also loved. That was a mess for another day. “I’m gonna get my uncle to vouch for me with Mr. Fox -- he used to work there too -- that I like, know what I’m doing around cars. So hopefully he’ll want the extra help. If not ... I dunno, I’ll figure something out,” he said, the optimism obvious in his voice. He glanced over at Jules, then put a hand on her leg.
For a moment Jules wondered how on earth Logan was going to keep a job at a fancy place like The Boathouse. He had been expelled for punching a teacher! But... that had been a year ago, and people grew and changed and all that. Maybe he didn't have the same kind of temper he was known for when he went to high school with them. "He'd be an idiot not to hire you," Jules said, slipping her hand over his. It would be good for him to have a job. And honestly, the thought of Jasper dirty and kind of smudged with car grease and stuff was a turn on. He would look sexy as hell like that, if you asked her. He also looked sexy as hell all dressed up and Jules chewed on her lower lip for a moment before speaking again. "So this is kind of not on topic at all, but the Winter Formal is this month. Would you want to go?" Her goal of winning all three formal crowns seemed so ridiculously silly now that she was dealing with real life stuff, but some part of Jules still clung to it. Frivolous or not, she felt like she needed something normal to focus on, something that reminded her of how easy her life had been before the weird stuff in her bathroom mirror happened and triggered all of this craziness.
Jasper wasn’t sure how much of an idiot Mr. Fox would be not to hire him -- he didn’t have the best track record with jobs -- but he appreciated her saying so. If he was in a spot where he needed a job to maintain himself, he thought he could do better. Plus working on cars was way more fun than bussing tables or slinging potatoes into the fryer. And it wasn’t working for his dad, which he also didn’t want to do. Not until he was old enough to really have a share of the bar. Jules’s question diverted his thoughts away from employment and Jasper looked a little surprised as he glanced over at her again. “Uh yeah, I totally planned on it,” he told her with a grin. “I mean, how could I miss you winning queen and all, right? Gotta support my girl.” He squeezed her thigh gently. “Sorry, thought you knew I was totally going already. ... should I like, formally ask? Do a promposal thing? Is that necessary when you’re already going out? I dunno all the rules for that kinda shit.”
Dances seemed as much fun to Jasper as shopping, but he had shown up for Homecoming, and had gone to the Sadie Hawkins dance with her, so Jules wasn't terribly surprised when he readily agreed. She just hoped he knew that meant a nice suit and everything. And a tux for prom. So maybe it was good for him to get a job soon so he would have the money for that stuff. At least she had dress shopping to look forward to. "We're going out, so no, you don't have to formally ask, and promposals are for prom," she pointed out with a laugh. "I just wanted to make sure you actually wanted to go. I know school stuff isn't high on your list of things you like to do. But it'll be fun. And there's always a party at someone's house after, like every other dance we have. It might be nice to have something normal to do, you know?"
“Dance-posal then, whatever,” Jasper said with a good-natured grin. He knew prom was special or whatever, but he thought now he might ‘ask’ Jules to the dance in a fun way anyway. Or show up with a stretch limo and a line green 70s suit or just a metric fuckton of roses or something fun. He just wanted to do something to delight her, make her happy. Right then a dance with an afterparty thrown by some rich Overlook people sounded fun instead of like torture. He would be with Jules, that was all he cared about. “Yeah totally,” he agreed as he drove toward downtown and Moxie’s. “It’ll be great. And after all the formalities stuff when you win queen, if it gets boring, we can just leave and go somewhere else and make our own fun.” Jasper knew he would need a better suit than what he’d worn to the other dances, but he thought he could manage something. He and Sebastian weren’t too far off in size, and he bet that dude had a closet full of suits.
She really didn't expect Jasper to do anything crazy for her when it came to prom. It was definitely a special occasion, much more so than homecoming or the winter formal, but it was enough for Jules that he would even be willing to go. It still amused her how far they had come as a couple since they started hooking up. No way Jasper of last summer would have agreed to take her to a dance. "We never have a problem doing that," Jules said, of finding their own fun when they got bored. It was just so much easier when the party was at her house, then she and Jasper could sneak away to her bedroom and not worry about anyone walking in on them. "I don't know that I'll win winter formal queen though. I mean, I'm going to try but it's not a done deal or anything. And if there's a party you could invite Amelia and Logan if you wanted, that way there would be some people there you actually like."
Jasper made a dismissive ‘pfft’ sort of noise when Jules said her crown wasn’t locked in yet, glancing over with an incredulous expression. “Nobody else deserves that crown,” he told her. “So I’m like, sure you’re gonna get it.” It wasn’t a thing he usually cared about -- honestly most of the time Jasper thought it was a weird and shallow sort of ritual, and Jules was silly to want it so bad -- but he knew it meant a lot to her, and that was all that mattered to him at the moment. He wanted to pump her up about it, spread his good mood. She would win it because duh, of course she would. Jasper got another of those weird flutters at Logan’s name, but he felt sure those would go away eventually. They had to. “I’ll see, yeah,” he said, smiling again. “Might be fun for them, Logan always likes to crash parties in Overlook.” Jasper laughed a bit. “But you’ll be there, and I love you, so even if they don’t come, I’ll be fine.”
Jules wasn't really sure if she deserved it, given she hadn't been doing much of anything in school that she usually did before the big dances. Extracurriculars and all that. Cheerleading probably counted, but her heart wasn't even in that anymore, and it sucked. She missed caring about stupid stuff. Jules smiled softly, studying his profile again and wishing she could put a finger on what felt so off about him. Was it just because he was in a good mood? A really good mood? Eager to do things she liked to do, even if that meant dances and parties with her friends? Maybe it wasn't Jasper. Maybe it was her. "Don't take this the wrong way," Jules began, "but are you sure you're okay?" It was going to sound like a silly question given he hadn't given her any reason to believe otherwise but for his incredibly cheerful mood. But it just felt slightly uncharacteristic of him, and Jules wasn't sure if she was supposed to start worrying or not.
Why would he take Jules’s concern for his wellbeing the wrong way? Part of Jasper remembered doing it in the recent past, getting so pissed at her for bugging him about whether he was okay or not. But all of that felt so far away, it might as well have been another person who’d done all that. He didn’t feel any defensiveness though, just good-natured confusion, and he laughed and glanced over at her again. “Yeah, I’m fine, really,” Jasper said. “I feel really good, in fact. Why, is it too much? Is it annoying? I’ll try to tone it down.” He pressed his lips together to keep from smiling, but that just made him laugh again, so it didn’t last long. “Fuck, sorry,” he chortled, grinning.
"It's not too much, and it's not annoying," she reassured him, wishing it didn't make her sound like some kind of Debbie Downer for being concerned. She liked seeing him smile, and hearing him laugh, and a part of her wanted to embrace it and go with it and enjoy every second. It was just that Jules felt something off about it, and it was starting to fester, like she ought to know what it was. It reminded her of the morning he yelled at her. He had been acting weird that day too, only on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from this. "It's just... I mean, I'm glad you're in a good mood, and you're happy, but it just seems kind of like... unlike you... when you don't have a specific reason for it? And your mood was affected last week too, remember? Because of your shoulder, maybe. I just wanted to make sure this wasn't like that. And that you're okay."
Was it unlike him to be happy and in a good mood? Jasper had to think about that, even though he didn’t really want to. He just wanted to feel it and enjoy it and make Jules happy too. That was what being in love was all about, wasn’t it? She kept questioning him though, so he tried to really think about it. “I dunno ...” he said slowly, his brow flexing into a furry and then relaxing. “I mean ... I feel okay. I feel way better than okay. Like I wanna ... go out and do shit, with you. Like anything and everything. I guess ... I guess that’s kinda weird.” Jasper gave her an uncertain glance. This definitely felt better than how he’d felt that day, pretty much exactly the opposite. Should he be worried about that? He didn’t want to be. “I felt like shit when I woke up, like I almost didn’t come in, but once I got here I started to feel better.”
Jules chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. She definitely liked that he was happy, and that he wanted to spend time with her. She just wished she didn't feel so strange about it. "So, you felt like crap this morning, but then you went to school and it made you feel better?" School, of all places, shouldn't make anyone feel better, especially Jasper. But... maybe it was nothing. Maybe she was just being super paranoid. After what happened at his house the day she wrecked her car, Jules couldn't help but be wary of any drastic change in his mood. "I'm sorry," she added quickly, "I'm not trying to make you worry or like, doubt yourself. I just... want to make sure you're okay. That whole thing with your shoulder, I mean... I definitely want you to be happy and everything."
Well when she put it like that, about school ... Jasper could see how it was strange. School usually drained him and put him in a worse mood, not improved it. He frowned softly as he drove, the weirdness putting a bit of a damper on his good cheer, which maybe needed to be there. At the moment it was hard to feel worried about anything though, so it wasn’t too long before Jasper’s expression smoothed out a bit. He glanced over at Jules with a soft smile. “Well ... if I’m gonna have mood swings, this direction’s way better, right?” he posed. It wasn’t like him to try and be optimistic either, but that was what he felt inclined to do at the moment. At least he wasn’t pissed and yelling at her, or worse. Jasper slowed down to turn into Moxie’s. “I get it though, it’s okay. You’re right, it’s weird. But a good weird’s a step up from everything else lately, I guess.”
"Yeah." Jules wasn't too sure about that. What if the good weird was just a cover for something worse about to come? He didn't seem too concerned about it, but Jules was. And she wondered if she should try to talk to someone about it. Maybe his dad, since he knew witches and everything. But Jules knew some too, and Jasper might get angry if she talked to his dad about his shoulder and moods behind his back. But then again, his dad might know what to do. Maybe he knew more about this stuff than he ever let on in front of Jasper. And Jules didn't really know who to turn to other than maybe Carson, Nic or Neil and they all had weird shit going on too. It was frustrating, feeling stuck. But Jules was afraid the longer she waited, the worse it could get, and she didn't want Jasper to get hurt. As they parked at Moxie's, she decided to just enjoy today and freak out about things later. "Well, I like seeing you happy," Jules told him with a small smile. "But if you start to feel weird or anything, tell me, okay?"
Jasper parked and flashed Jules a grin. “I will,” he said. “I feel good today, stop worrying.” He reached over to stroke his fingers against Jules’s cheek, then leaned in for a quick kiss. She had said she liked seeing him happy a couple of times now, but she sure didn’t look like it. Jasper didn’t blame her though -- he thought was was fretting too much, but he understood why. He really just wanted to have a good late afternoon with her, then evening, then hopefully night. Thinking some sugar might cheer her up, Jasper moved to get out of the car, then jogged around it to open Jules’s door. Or at least close it once she got out, since she already had it halfway open by the time he got there. “M’lady,” he said with a flirty grin and offered her his hand as she climbed out.
It was definitely a conflicting set of emotions, because Jules did like to see him happy. She was just worried about why he was so happy. If this was a mood swing brought on by the scar on his shoulder, what if it shifted drastically later? What if he got angry like before? She wasn't scared of him at all, but she didn't want to go through all of that again. Jules took his hand when he offered it, squeezing it gently as he closed to the door so they could walk up to Moxie's. "Okay, I promise to stop worrying," Jules said once they were inside where it was warm and sliding into a booth. She could smell some kind of pie and if she hadn't been about to start cheer practice again, she probably would have ordered some. "But you've got to distract me from it. What's been going on? How's Amelia and your dad and stuff?"
Moxie’s smelled amazing and walking in felt like strolling into a friendly, homey place. Jasper was hungry all of the sudden, more than he thought he would be. He slid into the booth across from Jules with a big smile still on his face. He let out a light laugh at her topics of distraction, because there really wasn’t anything going on. At least not that he knew about. “Amelia’s good,” he said, pretty sure that was true. He and his sister hadn’t sat down for a long conversation lately or anything. “Dad’s doing great, I guess. He’s spending the night over at Charlie’s more often, so ... that’s a good sign, right? Everybody’s happier when they’re getting laid. Even that sour bastard.” His tone was still good natured as he grabbed one of the laminated menus to look over it for what food jumped out at him.
Jules knew it had to be weird for Jasper's dad to be dating one of their teachers, though Jules tended to think it was cute. He didn't seem overly perturbed about it now, but that could also be his insanely good mood. "That's good, that he's staying the night with her more," Jules said, not reaching for a menu herself, since she already knew what she would be ordering. She tugged her gloves off though, and slipped them into her coat pocket. "They've been dating for a while, right? Maybe they'll like, move in together soon or something. I like Ms. Harris." Jules kind of thought Jasper's dad's house was kind of small for three people and two dogs, so maybe Ms. Harris and his dad would find a bigger place for everyone. Then again, maybe not. People didn't always stay together.
Jasper settled on one of Moxie’s bigger burgers, with extra fries and a milkshake even though it was freezing out. He put the menu back, his leg starting to bounce under the table with excess energy. The impulse to see if Jules wanted to go back to the car to fuck real quick passed through his head, but he knew better than to ask. They’d just gotten there, and he was hungry. He was just feeling pulled in ten different directions at the moment. He wondered if this was how it felt to do coke. “Yeah, a while, and yeah, she’s all right,” he answered Jules. “It’d be cool if they moved in together, but I’m gonna be gone before then. Maybe Amelia will too, I dunno. She was pretty pissed at me wanting to move, but I think she gets it now.”
Jules had been pissed at him too, but probably for different reasons than Amelia. Now she was just sort of resigned to things, hoping that Jasper and Logan living together wouldn't blow everything up that she wanted. "Well, it's not like you and Logan are moving out of town or anything. I'm sure she can visit you as much as she wants," Jules said. "I mean, she and Logan get along, right? So it's like... an extra brother or something. I'm sure you all could use the space." She was trying to be helpful, at least. Jules would have much rather Jasper move in with her, but she wouldn't be eighteen until June, so there wasn't much she could about it right now.
“They get along all right, yeah,” Jasper confirmed with a bright smile. That made him happy. Granted, everything seemed to be making him happy today, but that one had made him happy even before today. “Once we get there, I bet she’ll like hanging out at our place. It’s like ... no parents, what’s not to love?” He laughed a bit. “Not that she like, wants to get away from my dad or anything, she’s not exactly a like, normal teenager.” He rolled his eyes. Jasper was about to say more, but the waitress showed up to take their orders. Once she was gone, Jasper reached for one of Jules’s hands across the table, his eyes warm on her. “I’m mostly thinkin’ about how much privacy it’ll give you and me,” he said. “While you’re there, it’ll be like, our own place, you know?”
Amelia definitely wasn't a normal teenager. It still blew Jules's mind that she was a teenager. That whole time shift in some parallel universe was crazy and weirded her out. But Jules liked Amelia, and she hoped things were easier for her now than they had been. At least with Jasper living with Logan, Amelia would have her own room, for real. And their dad wouldn't have to sleep on the couch and open the door in his boxers. The memory of that nearly made her giggle before she remembered everything that had followed. So she squeezed Jasper's hand when he took hers. Jules wasn't sure it would feel like their place, but she understood what he meant, and she didn't want to start whining about him living with Logan again. Privacy would be nice, without the fear of her mom or his dad coming home and interrupting something. "It'll be nice," Jules said, working up some enthusiasm for him. Why did she feel so off today? Why did he feel so off today? Maybe she just needed to eat. Jules grinned softly. "I mean, Logan won't interrupt us or anything, right?"
Jasper loved his sister dearly, and he and his dad were slowly working their way into having a relationship, but he honestly thought that would thrive better if they didn’t live together. He was itching to be out on his own, or at least out from under a parent’s roof, and the prospect of living with Logan was exciting. They were gonna have lots of fun together. Of course, that other Incident lurked in the back of his mind and made him slightly nervous sometimes, but it was easy enough to ignore when he felt this good. Jules didn’t seem really genuinely enthused, but he knew how she felt about it, and she would just have to see how well it worked out. And then they could figure out the future. Jasper laughed and rolled his eyes. “Of course he won’t, he knows I’ll beat his ass if he does,” he said with a bright grin. “No, it’ll be good, I think. You’ll see.” He leaned over the table and lifted Jules’s hand to kiss the back of it. “Just maybe a little weird if he keeps fucking around with Sebastian and you’re both there at the same time,” he added with a laugh.
Jules had nearly forgotten about Bash hooking up with Logan, and she wondered if that was even still going on. Maybe. Though by the time Logan and Jasper actually had enough money to get a place together, it would be long over. Hopefully Bash would find someone else. Not that there was anything wrong with Logan, but he didn't really seem boyfriend material. "Maybe," she said with a small grin. "I mean, Logan's pretty much a rebound, I think. I don't even know if they're still doing stuff. I mean, even if they are, it's fine. We'll just work out a system... or we'll just have to try and be quiet. I know how hard that is for you." Jules teased. “But… I think it will be good too. For you, at least, not having to be home with your dad all the time anymore.”
Even if Logan and Sebastian were through -- and Jasper honestly didn’t know if they were or not, he hadn’t asked lately -- there would be other lovers coming and going. Jasper knew his best friend, and Logan liked sex, so it was to be expected with some privacy and freedom. Hopefully their work schedules would align okay so it wouldn’t become a problem, but he had faith they would work it out. They were best friends, so what could go wrong? “Oh it’s hard for me, huh?” he teased Jules right back, grinning wickedly. “We’ll see, next time.” Jasper knew it was both of them, really, and the daydream of having their own apartment where they could be as loud and kinky as they wanted made him feel all warm inside. He wanted her on his side of the booth all of the sudden so they could snuggle, but Jasper made do with just stroking and playing with her hands. “He totally knows he’s a rebound too, and he’s not heartbroken about it. I hope Sebastian gets over it though. How’s he doin’? Have you two talked much lately?”
Even if his mood felt a little off to Jules, his hands stroking her own felt nice, especially with how much they had been aching lately. It was comforting, and Jules didn't want to pull away. She did smile though, feeling warm at the thought of having a place where they could do whatever they wanted without parents or siblings bothering them. She told herself, not for the first time, that she and Jasper would work out future things. They had time, and she needed to stop obsessing on what was ahead, especially when she just needed to focus on getting through the next day. "I haven't, no," Jules said when he asked about Sebastian. "I'll probably see him after school someday this week though. They had those play rehearsals, and I'll be there for cheer practice. I need to track down Greg too, and just say thanks and all that. I haven't really spoken to him since he took me to the hospital. I guess I want to make sure he's not totally traumatized or anything."
Jasper was nodding along. “He’s easy to find, so I’m sure you’ll see ‘em both soon,” he said. Greg Wheeler was kind of hard to miss in the hallways. Sebastian wasn’t quite as boisterous, but he was still around. Jasper didn’t really care about either of them that much, but he knew they were friends to Jules, and right then he was feeling magnanimous toward everyone connected to his girlfriend. Jasper briefly considered telling Jules about how Greg had asked him for a gun, but he decided against it. No need to stress her out unnecessarily. “I guess we’re supposed to like, go to this play? To cheer him on or whatever?” he asked, though he didn’t sound put off by the idea. “Maybe Amelia -- Lyra -- would wanna go too. She’s smart, she could get Shakespeare, I’m pretty sure.” Jasper not so much, but he would do whatever Jules wanted.
The play. She knew it was Friday, and that Bash had rehearsals and all that, but Jules hadn't put a lot of thought into going. "Oh, right. Um, I don't know, maybe? I think I feel kind of weird being anywhere lately. I mean, anywhere with people." Jules cleared her throat and paused as their drinks were delivered, but she was reluctant to let go of Jasper's hands to open a straw. "But if you think Lyra would enjoy it, we can go." Ugh, it sucked feeling out of sorts. Jules would have probably definitely gone to the play had none of this weird shit ever happened. Now she just wanted to hide from everything. It wasn't like her, and she was so acutely aware of that. It was maddening. "Do you want to go?"
She didn’t need to worry about a straw, because Jasper started taking care of that right away. He freed up one hand to snatch both of them up and hit the ends against the table to break them out of their paper prisons. Jules didn’t sound excited about the play, or even really interested, which was a tiny bit surprising but not really at the same time. A lot of bullshit had been going on. “I dunno, only if you’re going,” he said before he tucked both straws between his lips to pull them free. Jasper stuck one into his own drink and one into Jules’s, still keeping hold of her hands with one of his. “It’s cool if you wanna skip it. He’s not like, your best friend forever or anything. Us and Lyra can do all kinds of other stuff. I took her ice skating too, after I was a big asshole to her, and she was really good at it. Maybe we can all go to a movie or shopping or something.”
"I'll talk to Bash this week and see," Jules said. "Maybe we can go one night it's playing." Bash might not have been her BFF, but he was still a friend and she should probably try to get back into having a social life. Maybe the whole thing with Greg and her hands had been a one time thing and she shouldn't hermit herself away because of it. She missed doing things, especially with her friends. And Jasper was in a good mood and seemed like he would agree to do just about anything Jules wanted. The thought made her lips twitch as she watched him put her straw into her glass. Fuck, that was kind of sweet and warmed her insides. She drew the glass close to her and took a sip before eyeing Jasper closely. "Yeah, shopping sounds super fun," she said, adding a bright, cheery note to her voice and hoping he didn't pick up on the fact that she was teasing. "You know what would be fun? We should totally go get pedicures. Lyra would love it, and I bet you would to. We'd have so much fun."
Jasper sensed the sarcasm there, but not until the end, so his face lit up for a moment before it narrowed into amused suspicion, all squinty eyes and smirking. “Are you making fun of me?” he asked slowly, not at all put out by it. “‘Cause don’t test me, woman, I will get a pedicure and coo about boys the whole time, I swear.” He would do it just to prove that he would, and now that he was thinking about it, it sounded kind of nice! Nobody else had ever touched his feet since he was a kid, really, no girlfriends or anything. Having them pampered might be kind of fun, who gave a fuck if it was girly. Amelia had never had one either, he was pretty sure, so even though Jules was fucking around, it might’ve actually been a good idea.
Unable to help herself, Jules laughed, her free hand coming up to cover her face for a moment. "Oh my god, you are so weird right now. But hey, if I get to hear you coo about boys, then we'll totally do it." It was very possible that by this time tomorrow he'll be back to normal, whatever that was, and laugh off getting a pedicure, but she thought it would be funny if she actually got him to do it. Amelia would probably like it though! What girl didn't like having her feet pampered and her nails painted a pretty color? "I'm going to totally hold you to this promise right now, so you can't change your mind later, just so you know."
Jasper didn’t even mind being called weird -- it just made him happier to hear Jules laugh. He grinned brightly at her, pushing down the guilty thought that now he could actually coo about boys from experience. One boy, at least. Jules never needed to know that, though. It had been an experimental mistake and it would never happen again, it was over. He felt much better thinking about getting his feet massaged and prettied up. “No nail polish, but I’ll take the rest of it,” he told her. “Pinkie swear I’ll try it. You just can’t tell anyone. Except Lyra, if she goes with us.” Jasper hooked his pinkie finger with Jules’s and gave their hands a little shake to seal the deal. The prospect seemed to amuse her and make her happy, so why not promise?
"Oh, I'm going to take so many pictures though," Jules teased. "And then blackmail you with them later." Honestly, she had no idea if he would do it, but maybe he would, just to make her happy. Amelia would probably find it pretty funny too, so that was a bonus. Jules took another sip from her drink, vaguely wondering if she ought to text her mom and let her know she was out with Jasper. Maybe in a bit. Jules still wasn't sure if he was serious about her staying the night with him on a school night, or if it had just been an impulsive suggestion due to his good mood. "So what do you want to do after we eat?" she asked.
Jasper laughed at that threat, his good mood sending it rolling off his back without a second thought. He knew she wasn’t serious, and even if she was, it would be more funny than anything. So he thought in the moment, anyway. His brain jumped like a puppy at Jules’s question, giving him that restless-happy feeling that he wanted to do everything. Jasper’s knee started bouncing under the table again, his body full of inexplicable energy. He wanted to go out and run around in the snow, he wanted to drive really fast down hilly roads, he wanted to throw rocks at windows and shoot at mailboxes and take Jules back to his house to fuck her brains out, all at once. “I dunno,” he said, grinning across at her. “I’m up for anything, pretty much. But I want it to end with you and me getting naked and messy, for sure.”
Jules could feel his leg bouncing underneath the booth. It was like he was high on something, like ecstasy or whatever those drugs were. Again, she wondered if this mood was affected in some way by his injury, even though it had more or less healed now. The unbridled happiness and excess energy seemed as uncharacteristic of Jasper as his horrible mood and meanness the week before. Who else did she know who had been hurt in the fog? Other than Elodie, of course. Maybe Carson, or Nic or Neil knew of someone, and they could tell her if the same thing was happening to those people. Jules considered reaching out to Carson right then, but it might be weird trying to talk to him in her brain while maintaining a conversation with Jasper. Maybe she could do it when they were done eating and driving somewhere else. Jules arched a brow at him and grinned, squeezing his hand briefly. "Naked and messy? That sounds fun, actually. I mean, depending on what kind of messy you're talking about." She rubbed her foot against his bouncing leg, maybe to try and see if that calmed him down any, but also to flirt a little bit, since it was really hard not to when he was looking at her like that.
Totally unaware of what Jules was thinking, Jasper grinned back wolfishly at her. He pictured her nude and sweaty and streaked with his cum, a glistening mess between her legs, and Jasper felt himself get hard almost immediately under the table. His dick was apparently as excitable and eager as the rest of him. Or maybe the rest of him had caught up to his dick, who knew. It all felt really good though, and he didn’t want it to stop. “The good kind, definitely,” he told her. “The kind they can use for DNA evidence.” Jasper moved his legs to catch Jules’s ankle between his calves and gave it a squeeze, stopping the bouncing for now. He hadn’t even been aware he was doing it, he was just brimming with energy. He was ready for their food so they could get done and get gone. “I wanna fuck you until you scream and beg me to stop.”
Jules felt her cheeks flush because her own body certainly responded to what he was saying. It wasn't like she was shy or anything, obviously, and she was kind of worried about his mood, but at the same time, she wondered what it would be like having sex with him while he was so hyped up. Did that make her a bad girlfriend? Jules certainly hoped not, because she was feeling hot all over all of the sudden and while she felt the urge to take off her coat, she didn't want to let go of his hand either. "You can do that," Jules said, her voice a bit husky from the arousal that had surged through her. "But if I beg you to stop you have to promise you won't."
Jasper could practically see the arousal wash over Jules, all those subtle ways her expression changed into something warm and interested. He licked his lips and felt his cock give a throb inside his jeans. Suddenly Jasper wanted to get started on that now, his appetite shifting easily from food to sex. There were bathrooms close by, and they could always go back out to his car if they got impatient enough. Jasper felt impatient enough. “I can handle that,” he practically purred. Damn, did he love having a girlfriend who liked to fuck as much as he did, and it gave him a surging feeling of power to turn her on in public so easily. Jasper had practically forgotten what he’d ordered now -- he just wanted to eat Jules like a full meal. He glanced around for the first time in a while, suddenly impatient to get this part over with. “You wanna tell ‘em to make ours to go?”
It was becoming clear that Jasper wasn't going to make it through sitting there for a meal. A part of Jules didn't even want to wait on getting their food to go, she just wanted to go. And she supposed that was a good sign that she was feeling something other than concern and uncertainty now. Figures it would be because she was horny, but that was better than nothing, right? Jasper had a way of bringing it out in her the way no other guy had been able to. "Yeah," she agreed quickly, clearing her throat as her body seemed to throb with anticipation. She didn't even know if they would go to his house, or hers, or... just somewhere. "Hold on," she said breathlessly, letting go of his hand to scoot out of her side of the booth. She hurried up to the counter and asked the guy behind it to change their orders to take out, then she went back to their booth. "Where do you wanna go?" she asked, her gaze ticking to the counter impatiently. How long did it take to make two plates of food? Jeez.
Jasper had been willing to get up to make the request himself, but he appreciated that Jules did it instead. For one, his boner was probably obvious at a glance, and for two, that meant he got to watch her ass as she walked away ... which didn’t help his boner situation, but Jasper didn’t care. That was what a coat was for. He grinned at her again when she came back. “I dunno ... is your mom home? I think Am-- Lyra’s at our place. Or we could park somewhere ...” He would take her anywhere she wanted. Jasper vaguely hoped this would serve as an example of how awesome it was going to be when he had his own place. Then they wouldn’t even have to think about it.
Jules took a quick look at her phone to check the time. "She won't be home for a few more hours, I don't think. We can go to my place." They could park somewhere, but even with the heater on, it was cold and Jules really wanted to get Jasper totally naked and be totally naked with him. That was so much harder to do in his car. Of course, if they went to her house, she probably wouldn't end up spending the night with him at his place, but... maybe he would stay with her. It was a school night, and he'd need to change and all that, but... whatever, they could figure it out when they needed to. Jules's brain was a little chaotic at the moment. And yes, maybe she did have that small, naggy feeling that if Jasper had his own place, they would just know they could go there and there would be no discussion about things. She noticed the guy behind the counter bagging their food and Jules quickly grabbed her purse to find the cash to pay for it. Jasper might have been willing, but she totally didn't care. All he'd had to do was mention fucking her until she screamed and now that's all she could think about. Jules slid out of the booth again and walked up to the counter to pay and grab their bags. It smelled good, but she wasn't super hungry anymore. At least they had some food when they were done doing whatever it was they ended up doing. "Let's go," Jules breathed, walking back to the booth and reaching out to grab Jasper's arm.
Jules’s room was big and comfy and had more privacy than his own at his dad’s, including her own bathroom, so it was ideal. If her mom wasn’t such a bitch, he would’ve been spending a lot more time there. But it was what it was, and he would just take advantage of the time they got together. He was beaming by the time Jules came back to grab him, already halfway out of the booth seat, and laughed a bit as he hurried along with her. Hopefully nobody looked directly at his crotch. The air outside did nothing to dampen how overheated Jasper felt, and he took in a deep breath of it as he fished his keys out of his pocket to let them into his car. Fucking and then eating sounded perfect, and maybe he could talk Jules into letting him stay the night in a sneaky way or something. It was too bad they hadn’t been able to take her car. Oh well. Jasper climbed in with his girl and fired up the engine, barely giving them enough time to buckle their belts before he pulled out of the parking spot to speed toward Jules’s house.
Jules thought they could probably find a way for Jasper to stay the night if he wanted to. She didn't have her car at the moment, and if he parked a bit down the street, she doubted her mom would notice. And Margaret knew Jasper was giving Jules rides to and from school anyway, so... what did it really matter? Jules thought maybe she should just tell her mom to deal with Jasper being around, but Margaret was still trying to handle Edward's "disappearance" and Jules felt bad being a bitch to her about her own love life. As it was, she was more focused on getting home and to her bedroom with her boyfriend. Some part of her wanted to reach over and unzip Jasper's jeans and blow him until they got to her house, but she kind of liked making him wait. He seemed so hyped up and horny and as much as it seemed off to her, Jules was getting caught up in it too, only because she really liked how much he wanted her, and how hot he got for her, especially when they were out in public. Knowing he hadn't even wanted to eat before taking her home was an ego boost, and Jules felt like she could use one of those these days. So she waited in her seat, hoping he didn't kill them in the process of speeding up towards Overlook. She tried not to look at, or think about, the woods along the road that led to her neighborhood, and what might live in them in some other parallel universe, or whatever it was. That was a mood killer for sure.
When they got to her house, she was relieved to find her mom's car was gone, and only the porch light was on. Jules grabbed her backpack, letting Jasper take the bags of food, and she quickly unlocked the front door once she was there and stepped inside to turn off the alarm. Dumping her backpack in the foyer, Jules grabbed Jasper's free hand to pull him through the house to the stairs. The house was still dark, but that was okay. They just needed to get to her bedroom, and fast.
Jasper was feeling confident enough to be brazen and park in the driveway, and he grinned through the whole movement from vehicle to the house. He didn’t even think to put the food down anywhere, just let Jules pull him along upstairs. With a giggle, he lightly headbutted her ass when they were on the steps, just because it was there and soft and awesome and he didn’t have a free hand to pinch with. Once they were in her room, he set the food bag down just inside the door and started stripping off his coat and boots. He could still feel his heartbeat in his cock, and he was so, so ready to get naked with his girl. It hadn’t been that long since the last time, but Jasper felt like his appetite for Jules was through the roof today, just like every other good thing inside of him.
Jules was just as eager now, and she flung her coat onto the back of her desk chair before flopping down on the edge of her bed to tug off her snow boots. Her feet were still cold, but she didn't care. She was certainly feeling warm everywhere else. Jules watched Jasper get his own boots off and she grinned at him before reaching down to grip the hem of her soft sweater, pulling it up and off so she was sitting there in her bra. It was so nice to be focused on something pleasurable now. Her hands weren't bothering her, and she was alone with her boyfriend and everything felt happy and horny and Jules wondered if she had just been paranoid and silly to worry so much about his good mood. "Come here," Jules breathed, well aware that she had to get rid of her jeans, but whatever, she wanted his body and his lips on hers right now.
It was always incredibly nice to watch Jules take any part of her clothes off, and Jasper felt dopey-happy as she stripped the sweater off. God, her tits looked so nice in bras. They looked nice all the time, of course, but there was something about the soft way they got pushed up that always got to Jasper. He wanted to bury his face in the cleavage and just ... live there. She had beckoned him, so that was what Jasper moved to do, pulling off both of his layered shirts as he crossed the room and dropped to his knees in front of Jules at the edge of the bed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, tilting his face up to kiss her. The sense of manic joy was gradually fading, replaced by a warmer needy feeling.
Jules cupped his face briefly before sliding her hands back into his hair. And then she kissed him, moaning happily into his mouth and loving the feel of his arms around her. He felt so good. He always felt good, but today especially. At least when they were dealing with a bunch of scary, fucked up crap Jules knew she still had Jasper, and that made all of this more tolerable. Kissing him only seemed to intensify how badly she wanted him at that moment, and she let go of his hair to run her hands over his shoulders and arms. When she broke away from his mouth, Jules didn't go far. "Stand up," she murmured. "Let me take your jeans off."
Jasper could never get enough of feeling Jules’s hands on him, whether it was in his hair or on his skin, and he relished the way she did it now, his own hands splayed against her bare back. While they kissed he moved one up to unhook her bra, wanting her bare chest against his. Clothes were always so in the way; he never felt better than when he was naked with Jules. Jasper opened his eyes, dark blue and hazy with arousal, and almost protested when she wanted him to get up, but the prospect of letting her undress him further overrode the desire to stay kneeling at the altar of Jules. He kissed at the tops of her breasts for a few seconds before Jasper let her go to stand in front of her.
Jules waited until Jasper was standing before she pressed several kisses against his abdomen. Her fingers worked at getting his jeans undone and once they were unzipped, she curled her fingers into the waistband to pull them down, along with his boxer briefs. There were times in the past with other boyfriends when Jules had found undressing a guy tedious. She just wanted to snap her fingers and be naked. But she never got tired of taking off Jasper's clothes. It felt sexy and always seemed to heighten her anticipation for whatever they were about to do. She waited until his jeans were at his thighs before she curled her fingers around his cock, just to touch and stroke a little, because it was there, and she wanted to. That was another bonus of undressing Jasper herself. She could touch every inch of him that she wanted while she did it.
Jasper enjoyed watching it almost as much as Jules enjoyed doing it, and he stared down at her as she pulled his pants down with his lips slightly parted. He liked that sense of being unwrapped like a present, and that moment when his erection was freed was always a pleasurable relief. Jules didn’t leave his bobbing cock waiting for long, and it twitched under Jules’s touch. Jasper pulled a longer breath in between his teeth and slipped both sets of fingers into Jules’s hair. He was ready to get rid of the bound-up cloth hugging his knees and lower thighs, but they could definitely wait a minute if Jules wanted to give him a little attention first.
Not opposed in the least to giving Jasper some attention, Jules leaned in just enough to flick her tongue against the head of his cock before she took it between her lips to give it a little suck. It was more to tease him than anything else. With how rowdy he had seen back at Moxie's, Jules didn't want to go for it and then have him come too soon. Still, she used her tongue and licks to explore and taste him, moaning deep in her throat as she drew him further into her mouth. Her free hand gripped his hip, still loving the feel of his bare skin beneath her fingers. Nothing was normal anymore. Everything was weird and scary and uncertain... except for this. Nothing, and no one else made her feel as grounded as Jasper did, like things were really okay, at least for a little while.
It felt good because Jules’s mouth always felt good, even when it was light and teasing, but there was another, different feeling growing in Jasper’s body. It was a tired heaviness, like he was coming down from something. That would’ve made sense if he’d actually taken something to pump him up in the first place, but unless someone had slipped some cocaine or uppers or something into his morning Coke, Jasper knew he was sober. So why did he feel like all the energy was draining out of him? He tried to stay focused, running his fingers through Jules’s blonde hair and watching her tease the tip of his cock, but after a moment or two he was starting to feel a little dizzy. Jasper could handle that -- he made himself lightheaded on purpose on a regular basis -- but his erection was deflating too, and that was no good. “Here, lemme ...” he murmured as he pulled back and started pushing his jeans and boxers the rest of the way off. “Think I need to sit down.”
It took Jules a moment to realize he was losing his hard-on and she pulled back when he did, ticking her gaze up to his face even as he started getting rid of his jeans and boxers. Even if she was still feeling hot and bothered in a frenzied sort of way, it didn't take a genius to see a lot of Jasper's own manic energy was dulling. Even if he hadn't started losing his erection, she could see it in his face. "Are you okay?" Jules asked, more concerned than anything, even if her body was protesting the possibility of not finding its own release. She had been worried about him earlier, mostly because his insanely good mood and energy had seemed a bit unlike Jasper... now it felt like he was losing steam, which probably wouldn't have been as worrisome if the day had been going somewhat normal.
Jasper managed to get the rest of his clothes off without falling over, though he had to put a hand on Jules’s shoulder to do so. He moved to sit down beside her, his brow furrowed unhappily and his heart beating way too hard for what he’d just been doing. It wasn’t excitement, it was fatigue. Like he’d just run around the block a few times or something, fuck. “Yeah, I just ... I dunno,” he muttered vaguely to Jules’s question. Sitting was better than standing, so it was probably just a passing thing, or something. Jasper wasn’t sure, but he didn’t want to think about it at the moment, he wanted to keep going with what they were doing. He leaned over to try and kiss Jules again, one hand moving to cup one of her breasts.
Jules kissed him back, though it was evident in how their mouths moved together that whatever energy, and maybe horniness, that Jasper had had in Moxie's was now depleted. If things hadn't been so weird, she probably would have been super offended by it. So Jules pulled back, reaching up for his hand to take it from her breast, though she held onto his hand. "You seem different," she said, hoping he didn't get angry about it. "I mean, from how you were earlier. Did you take something earlier?" Maybe he did some drugs or something and now he's crashing. Or maybe it had to do with his shoulder. That was scarier than the drugs, if she was being honest.
It felt truly upsetting that this was happening. Jasper didn’t want to be tired and limp, he wanted to fuck Jules, like he’d said. They both felt better when they were fucking, and goddammit, they deserved to feel better. Jasper had never gone soft like this before, in the middle of things, and he suddenly felt like he was going to cry, like an overtired child. “I didn’t take anything,” he told her again, his tone a bit whiny. He’d already said that, didn’t she believe him? “I promise I didn’t. I dunno, I’m just ... really tired.” Jasper gave Jules’s tits a mournful glance. “Maybe I like, do need to eat first.” That ‘first’ might have been optimistic -- he already felt like stretching out and dozing off, with a full stomach he would be snoring in no time -- but Jasper still wanted to have sex so he would try to power through.