Embers [Completed]

{Shut The Door Next Time}

Jasper and I stayed in bed all day, until Charlie came in, and promptly asked me what the hell happened to my face.

It was then I decided to look in a mirror. Bloody hell. Half of my jaw is black with dark spots of blue. A small gash on my forehead is definitely going to scar, but thanks to Carlisle not too badly.

My abdomen looks the worst. Blue bruising outlines my abs, and yellow bruises accentuate a few of my ribs. One of John's knuckle-dusters must have nicked my skin, as there's a shallow line across my belly button.

Not to mention the tear on my shoulder from the Spike, which has also bruised slightly.

I just generally look a mess. But Jasper appeared at my shoulder and smiled, telling me I'm beautiful.

So I'm currently sitting at my desk, drawing idly as I wonder how I ended up with someone like Jasper.

It's not like I've done anything to deserve him. I'm not exactly the poster girl for good deeds.

I let my eyes shift to my bed, where Jasper is stretched out reading a book.

A glimmer of sunlight has beat the clouds and reached my room, lining up perfectly with the tiny bit of skin revealed by the gap between Jasper's shirt and trousers.

I'm not sure if he's noticed it dancing across the ceiling. But I have. The light is beautiful to watch, and it reveals the depth of his scars.

They're layered on top of each other, and it makes me wonder just how many times he's been bitten.

It must have been painful, considering it's the only thing that can even graze a vampire's skin. The idea of Jasper being in pain for that long makes me angry, so I distract myself.

My tactic does not work, so I huff and put my pencil down. Jasper frowns and leans the book on his chest.

"What's wrong?"

I keep his gaze for a moment, studying his features and the pure honey of his eyes. To be honest, I could stare into them forever.

"Your gears are turning again," he teases. "Don't leave me in the dark."

I smile playfully and walk over to sit by him on the bed. "I don't mean to."

My fingers trail over him, tracing the visible scars. The bumps risen on the cool skin show the indents of teeth.

"Did they hurt?" I ask softly.

"Yes," he answers honestly, then I hear him swallow carefully. "Occasionally, when I'm trying to relax, I swear I can feel them burning..."

My eyes flick up to his, and I frown at the torment hanging in them. I feel frustration boil in my chest as I think of a way I could make it go away.

Jasper tenses, and I watch his eyes go wide as he sits up. "What did you just do?"

I raise an eyebrow. "I didn't do anything..."

He's suddenly much closer to me, and his cold hand cups my face as he kisses me tenderly.

I allow myself to melt into his touch, but still wonder at the display of affection.

Once he pulls back, I smile. "I'm still confused, but that was nice."

Warmth pools in his eyes as he strokes my face, his lips forming a loving smile. "You may not have meant to do that, but I appreciate it."

"Did I project or something?" I ask, frowning.

"In a way. After I spoke, a wave of love came from you. It was so strong..." he cuts off and leans his forehead against mine. "It dragged me back from a very dark place."