FF: The Light of Unity (1/1)
Title: The Light of Unity
Author: Aerial312
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Alice/Jasper
Table/Prompt: Epsilon/Unity
Word Count: 2, 091
Summary: Alice and Jasper attend one of Rosalie and Emmett's many weddings.
Timeline: Pre-Twlight, a year or two after they join the Cullens.
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I smiled as I looked out at the small wedding reception bustling on the lawn below. This was the first wedding I had ever been a part of, or even been to for that matter, and I had a perverse fascination with it all. I had been determined to be the best maid of honor there was.
It was not the bride and groom's first wedding. Rosalie and Emmett had been married five times already, in the 15 years they'd been together. According to Edward, each ceremony was grander than the last. I couldn't imagine how they'd top this one. From start to finish, everything about the day was extravagant.
Rosalie looked stunning, of course, in a long-sleeved dress, nipped at the waist and flowing out into a full skirt with tier upon tier of lace and tulle. It was a grand, bold dress, very Rosalie. She flitted about now, chatting with our Alaskan guests, with Emmett on her arm. These very same guests, good friends of Carlisle's, had been to each of Rosalie and Emmett's weddings. I wondered at what point it got old.
Jasper sat on a lawn chair pulled to the side of the house. He had a book open on his lap, and he was reading at his usual quick pace, evidenced by the quick turning of the pages. Every now and then his eyes darted upward to see if anyone had noticed him being a recluse.
I smiled as I descended the deck stairs. Jasper had been on his best behavior all afternoon, a perfect gentleman through the church ceremony and the first few hours of the reception. I had been worried about the church in particular, as there were a fair number of humans present, but he sat calmly beside me the whole time, holding his breath.
Jasper had posed for the customary photographs beside the other men with a smile, albeit fake, plastered to his face. We'd even gotten one picture together. It wasn't our first, but it was our best. I'd said something to make him chuckle right as the man snapped the picture, and as a result Jasper had a huge, amazing, real smile. I checked right after the flash to make sure it came out as I had foreseen, and my vision confirmed that it was beautiful.
I reached the corner of the house, and peered around it. Jasper sat on a lawn chair pulled to the side of the house. He had a book open on his lap, and he was reading at his usual quick pace, evidenced by the quick turning of the pages. Every now and then his eyes darted upward to see if anyone had noticed him being a recluse. His gaze caught mine, and he smiled impishly.
I grinned and flitted over to his side.
He pulled me onto his lap. "You caught me."
"I did."
He tipped his head to whisper in my ear. "I couldn't take much more of that."
I laughed, kissing his chin. "I didn't realize that these things were so long."
"I thought it was just me," he sighed, resting his cheek in my hair.
I laid my head against his starched white shirt, and wrapped my arms around his waist. His hand slid up the shiny taffeta of my dress to rest on the bare expanse of skin on my upper back. I curled my knees up, and Jasper smoothed my skirt down, making sure it covered where it needed to, and letting his hand linger on my knee.
"You look beautiful today," he murmured.
"You've told me that 20 times."
"Then it's all the more true."
I laughed, pleased that despite the formal proceedings of the day, he was in a particularly good mood.
"You're happy," he noted, tracing his fingers along the bony protrusions of my neck. His touch was feather light and it made me shiver.
"So are you," I purred into his chest, laying my hand over his still heart.
"I've got the lady I love on my lap."
I tightened my embrace. He kissed the top of my head. We sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Don't feel like you have to stay here with me if you want to be part of the party," he told me.
"Is that your way of saying you'd rather read?"
"No," he chuckled. "I always like your company."
"I'm happy here right now." I ran the heel of my hand up the front of his shirt to rest on his pec.
We stood beneath the canopy of party lights, swaying back and forth. The moon was shining down from a crystal clear sky. My head was pressed to Jasper's chest, my right hand wrapped around his hips, with my thumb slung casually through his back, center belt loop. One of his hands cupped my head, fingers threaded into my hair. The other was around my waist. In my left hand, I played with a single yellow buttercup, wound between my fingers.
"Now you're really happy," Jasper sighed, brushing the ridge of my ear with his thumb. It was another feather light touch, the kind he knew drove me crazy. I moaned softly.
"We're going to dance later," I told him.
The tips of his fingers trailed down the side of my neck.
"If we make it that long…" I murmured.
Jasper carried me up the stairs cradled in his arms. I kissed a trail along his jaw line, landing on his lips as he opened the door to our room. I sucked his lower lip, nipping lightly as he carried me over to the bed. From the window the sounds of the party below could be heard.
"We're not going to make it that long," I declared.
"Don't we have to see the bride and groom off?" Jasper laughed.
I growled, and slid my fingers into the gap between the buttons on his shirt to graze his cold, marble skin. He groaned softly, deep in his chest, before taking my hand in his and pulling it away. He kissed my head again, and scooted to sit up a bit more. For my part, I burrowed deeper into his chest.
"You did so good today," I told him, grasping his hand in mine. "With all those people at the church."
"It was hard," he sighed. "Before you and Rosalie and Esme came in."
I smiled. Frequently Jasper used me to ground himself when things were hard for him.
"And once we were in?"
His thumb brushed my bare shoulder. "Much easier. Have I told you how beautiful you look today?"
"Only a few dozen times." I squeezed his hand playfully.
He leaned down to kiss my forehead, and I tipped my head up, so that our lips met. It started out chastely, closed lipped, but quickly intensified.
Jasper carried me up the stairs in his arms. I kissed a trail along his jaw line, landing on his lips as he opened the door to our room. I sucked on his lower lip, nipping lightly as he carried me over to the bed. The moon shone in through the open window. The party below had dispersed, so that the only sounds were the chirping crickets and the low hum of the party lights.
Jasper's lips were pressed to my forehead as I refocused. "Another good one?" he smirked.
"Same great one as last time…different time frame."
"So now we make it through the party like good guests?" he guessed.
I nodded, closing my eyes as he ran his fingers through my hair. I had tried to tame my hair into elegant curls, and wore a beautiful clip that Esme had lent me. The clip remained, but my hair had long since taken on its usual character of unruly spikes. I sighed.
"What wrong?" Jasper asked, in a tone that belied that he knew it was something silly. Had he thought that anything was actually wrong, he would have been much more concerned.
"My hair is a mess."
He scratched my scalp as he chuckled. "Your hair is beautiful, like usual." He sat me up to face him. "It has a lot of personality, just like you." He tugged a few buttercups out of the lawn, and slid one into my hair, at the clip. I giggled, and tucked one into his boutonnière.
We walked back to the party tent hand in hand, little yellow specks of yellow standing in sharp contrast to their surroundings: in my black hair, beside the red rose of Jasper's boutonnière, and against my milky white fingers. I skipped ahead, as we headed to the dance floor, and he tugged my hand, twirling me back to him.
Jasper twisted a buttercup around in his hand. "Did you enjoy the festivities today?" he asked.
"I did," I smiled.
"I could tell."
"It was my first one."
"Which is kind of ironic, because it's not their first," he chuckled. "I don't understand that, their need to get married over and over."
"Rosalie just likes to have a party."
He scoffed. "It just cheapens the whole thing."
"This really bothers you," I noted.
"I think that if you're going to go to all that trouble, it should mean something. It means something for Carlisle and Esme…"
I nodded, wondering if he was going to elaborate. He was getting rather heated up about it, but he fell silent. I knelt up and pressed my forehead to his, closing my eyes.
After a moment, I sighed. "We should go back to the party."
Jasper's fingers slid up mine, finally grasping my hand, drawing it up to his mouth to kiss it.
We walked back to the party tent hand in hand, little yellow specks of yellow standing in sharp contrasts to their surroundings: in my black hair, beside the red rose of Jasper's boutonnière, and against my milky white fingers. I skipped ahead, as we headed to the dance floor, and he tugged my hand, twirling me back to him.
I scowled. I'd already seen that.
"I suppose you just saw what's coming," he sighed. His voice was soft, teasing.
My eyes snapped open, confused.
"You didn't?"
I gave him a curious look. What was he up to? He took a deep breath, and held up our joined hands. He looked down at them, and my gaze followed. The pieces started to fall into place-I had seen it, I just didn't know what I was seeing.
"Will you marry me?" his voice was still soft, but completely serious now.
I looked up at him, my throat tight, a dull ache behind my eyes. I nodded furiously, with my lips pursed together. I knew my voice would crack if I tried to speak. Jasper smiled, pulling me tightly into his arms. I let my head rest against his temple, as he rubbed little circles on my upper back.
"Did I really surprise you, or did you just pretend?"
I laughed, and pulled back to look at him. I held my hand up in front of his face. The vivid, little, yellow butter cup that was looped around my left ring finger stood out against my pale skin.
"I've seen that flower on my hand all afternoon. I didn't realize what it was," I laughed. "You only just decided."
Jasper nodded, his head bowed. He kissed my forehead. "We'll pick out a real ring."
"I'm rather fond of the flower," I giggled.
"Sadly, the flower won't live forever, like we will." He kissed me again. "We can get a yellow stone."
"I would like that." I settled into his embrace, laying my head in the crook of his neck. "Maybe a necklace," I suggested. "That way I can wear it to school."
"Whatever you want," he laughed, kissing the top of my head. "I want to make you happy."
"Don't feel like you have to do this," I whispered. I would love to have a wedding, but ultimately, my love for Jasper would be the same, wedding or not.
"I want to. I definitely want to. Once."
I smiled. "Once is plenty."
Jasper stood, pulling me with him. We walked back to the party tent hand in hand, little yellow specks of yellow standing in sharp contrasts to their surroundings: in my black hair, beside the red rose of Jasper's boutonnière, and against my milky white fingers. I skipped ahead, as we headed to the dance floor, and he tugged my hand, twirling me back to him.
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
" So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.", Baha'u'llah
Author: Aerial312
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Alice/Jasper
Table/Prompt: Epsilon/Unity
Word Count: 2, 091
Summary: Alice and Jasper attend one of Rosalie and Emmett's many weddings.
Timeline: Pre-Twlight, a year or two after they join the Cullens.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
I smiled as I looked out at the small wedding reception bustling on the lawn below. This was the first wedding I had ever been a part of, or even been to for that matter, and I had a perverse fascination with it all. I had been determined to be the best maid of honor there was.
It was not the bride and groom's first wedding. Rosalie and Emmett had been married five times already, in the 15 years they'd been together. According to Edward, each ceremony was grander than the last. I couldn't imagine how they'd top this one. From start to finish, everything about the day was extravagant.
Rosalie looked stunning, of course, in a long-sleeved dress, nipped at the waist and flowing out into a full skirt with tier upon tier of lace and tulle. It was a grand, bold dress, very Rosalie. She flitted about now, chatting with our Alaskan guests, with Emmett on her arm. These very same guests, good friends of Carlisle's, had been to each of Rosalie and Emmett's weddings. I wondered at what point it got old.
Jasper sat on a lawn chair pulled to the side of the house. He had a book open on his lap, and he was reading at his usual quick pace, evidenced by the quick turning of the pages. Every now and then his eyes darted upward to see if anyone had noticed him being a recluse.
I smiled as I descended the deck stairs. Jasper had been on his best behavior all afternoon, a perfect gentleman through the church ceremony and the first few hours of the reception. I had been worried about the church in particular, as there were a fair number of humans present, but he sat calmly beside me the whole time, holding his breath.
Jasper had posed for the customary photographs beside the other men with a smile, albeit fake, plastered to his face. We'd even gotten one picture together. It wasn't our first, but it was our best. I'd said something to make him chuckle right as the man snapped the picture, and as a result Jasper had a huge, amazing, real smile. I checked right after the flash to make sure it came out as I had foreseen, and my vision confirmed that it was beautiful.
I reached the corner of the house, and peered around it. Jasper sat on a lawn chair pulled to the side of the house. He had a book open on his lap, and he was reading at his usual quick pace, evidenced by the quick turning of the pages. Every now and then his eyes darted upward to see if anyone had noticed him being a recluse. His gaze caught mine, and he smiled impishly.
I grinned and flitted over to his side.
He pulled me onto his lap. "You caught me."
"I did."
He tipped his head to whisper in my ear. "I couldn't take much more of that."
I laughed, kissing his chin. "I didn't realize that these things were so long."
"I thought it was just me," he sighed, resting his cheek in my hair.
I laid my head against his starched white shirt, and wrapped my arms around his waist. His hand slid up the shiny taffeta of my dress to rest on the bare expanse of skin on my upper back. I curled my knees up, and Jasper smoothed my skirt down, making sure it covered where it needed to, and letting his hand linger on my knee.
"You look beautiful today," he murmured.
"You've told me that 20 times."
"Then it's all the more true."
I laughed, pleased that despite the formal proceedings of the day, he was in a particularly good mood.
"You're happy," he noted, tracing his fingers along the bony protrusions of my neck. His touch was feather light and it made me shiver.
"So are you," I purred into his chest, laying my hand over his still heart.
"I've got the lady I love on my lap."
I tightened my embrace. He kissed the top of my head. We sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Don't feel like you have to stay here with me if you want to be part of the party," he told me.
"Is that your way of saying you'd rather read?"
"No," he chuckled. "I always like your company."
"I'm happy here right now." I ran the heel of my hand up the front of his shirt to rest on his pec.
We stood beneath the canopy of party lights, swaying back and forth. The moon was shining down from a crystal clear sky. My head was pressed to Jasper's chest, my right hand wrapped around his hips, with my thumb slung casually through his back, center belt loop. One of his hands cupped my head, fingers threaded into my hair. The other was around my waist. In my left hand, I played with a single yellow buttercup, wound between my fingers.
"Now you're really happy," Jasper sighed, brushing the ridge of my ear with his thumb. It was another feather light touch, the kind he knew drove me crazy. I moaned softly.
"We're going to dance later," I told him.
The tips of his fingers trailed down the side of my neck.
"If we make it that long…" I murmured.
Jasper carried me up the stairs cradled in his arms. I kissed a trail along his jaw line, landing on his lips as he opened the door to our room. I sucked his lower lip, nipping lightly as he carried me over to the bed. From the window the sounds of the party below could be heard.
"We're not going to make it that long," I declared.
"Don't we have to see the bride and groom off?" Jasper laughed.
I growled, and slid my fingers into the gap between the buttons on his shirt to graze his cold, marble skin. He groaned softly, deep in his chest, before taking my hand in his and pulling it away. He kissed my head again, and scooted to sit up a bit more. For my part, I burrowed deeper into his chest.
"You did so good today," I told him, grasping his hand in mine. "With all those people at the church."
"It was hard," he sighed. "Before you and Rosalie and Esme came in."
I smiled. Frequently Jasper used me to ground himself when things were hard for him.
"And once we were in?"
His thumb brushed my bare shoulder. "Much easier. Have I told you how beautiful you look today?"
"Only a few dozen times." I squeezed his hand playfully.
He leaned down to kiss my forehead, and I tipped my head up, so that our lips met. It started out chastely, closed lipped, but quickly intensified.
Jasper carried me up the stairs in his arms. I kissed a trail along his jaw line, landing on his lips as he opened the door to our room. I sucked on his lower lip, nipping lightly as he carried me over to the bed. The moon shone in through the open window. The party below had dispersed, so that the only sounds were the chirping crickets and the low hum of the party lights.
Jasper's lips were pressed to my forehead as I refocused. "Another good one?" he smirked.
"Same great one as last time…different time frame."
"So now we make it through the party like good guests?" he guessed.
I nodded, closing my eyes as he ran his fingers through my hair. I had tried to tame my hair into elegant curls, and wore a beautiful clip that Esme had lent me. The clip remained, but my hair had long since taken on its usual character of unruly spikes. I sighed.
"What wrong?" Jasper asked, in a tone that belied that he knew it was something silly. Had he thought that anything was actually wrong, he would have been much more concerned.
"My hair is a mess."
He scratched my scalp as he chuckled. "Your hair is beautiful, like usual." He sat me up to face him. "It has a lot of personality, just like you." He tugged a few buttercups out of the lawn, and slid one into my hair, at the clip. I giggled, and tucked one into his boutonnière.
We walked back to the party tent hand in hand, little yellow specks of yellow standing in sharp contrast to their surroundings: in my black hair, beside the red rose of Jasper's boutonnière, and against my milky white fingers. I skipped ahead, as we headed to the dance floor, and he tugged my hand, twirling me back to him.
Jasper twisted a buttercup around in his hand. "Did you enjoy the festivities today?" he asked.
"I did," I smiled.
"I could tell."
"It was my first one."
"Which is kind of ironic, because it's not their first," he chuckled. "I don't understand that, their need to get married over and over."
"Rosalie just likes to have a party."
He scoffed. "It just cheapens the whole thing."
"This really bothers you," I noted.
"I think that if you're going to go to all that trouble, it should mean something. It means something for Carlisle and Esme…"
I nodded, wondering if he was going to elaborate. He was getting rather heated up about it, but he fell silent. I knelt up and pressed my forehead to his, closing my eyes.
After a moment, I sighed. "We should go back to the party."
Jasper's fingers slid up mine, finally grasping my hand, drawing it up to his mouth to kiss it.
We walked back to the party tent hand in hand, little yellow specks of yellow standing in sharp contrasts to their surroundings: in my black hair, beside the red rose of Jasper's boutonnière, and against my milky white fingers. I skipped ahead, as we headed to the dance floor, and he tugged my hand, twirling me back to him.
I scowled. I'd already seen that.
"I suppose you just saw what's coming," he sighed. His voice was soft, teasing.
My eyes snapped open, confused.
"You didn't?"
I gave him a curious look. What was he up to? He took a deep breath, and held up our joined hands. He looked down at them, and my gaze followed. The pieces started to fall into place-I had seen it, I just didn't know what I was seeing.
"Will you marry me?" his voice was still soft, but completely serious now.
I looked up at him, my throat tight, a dull ache behind my eyes. I nodded furiously, with my lips pursed together. I knew my voice would crack if I tried to speak. Jasper smiled, pulling me tightly into his arms. I let my head rest against his temple, as he rubbed little circles on my upper back.
"Did I really surprise you, or did you just pretend?"
I laughed, and pulled back to look at him. I held my hand up in front of his face. The vivid, little, yellow butter cup that was looped around my left ring finger stood out against my pale skin.
"I've seen that flower on my hand all afternoon. I didn't realize what it was," I laughed. "You only just decided."
Jasper nodded, his head bowed. He kissed my forehead. "We'll pick out a real ring."
"I'm rather fond of the flower," I giggled.
"Sadly, the flower won't live forever, like we will." He kissed me again. "We can get a yellow stone."
"I would like that." I settled into his embrace, laying my head in the crook of his neck. "Maybe a necklace," I suggested. "That way I can wear it to school."
"Whatever you want," he laughed, kissing the top of my head. "I want to make you happy."
"Don't feel like you have to do this," I whispered. I would love to have a wedding, but ultimately, my love for Jasper would be the same, wedding or not.
"I want to. I definitely want to. Once."
I smiled. "Once is plenty."
Jasper stood, pulling me with him. We walked back to the party tent hand in hand, little yellow specks of yellow standing in sharp contrasts to their surroundings: in my black hair, beside the red rose of Jasper's boutonnière, and against my milky white fingers. I skipped ahead, as we headed to the dance floor, and he tugged my hand, twirling me back to him.
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" So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.", Baha'u'llah