1949, Prince Edward Island, Canada

[keptherwaiting]

The bathroom is filled with the steam of hot water, making the room appear to have a hazy glow.

Jasper actually fits in the tub for once, a luxuriously large tub for a luxurious hotel room, and Alice with him, leaning back against his chest, squeezed in between his legs.

They were on Prince Edward Island for the weekend and Alice had wanted something nicer than the roadside motels (or forested areas) just outside the populated areas that Jasper favored.

And who was he to deny her anything? Especially when it has been exactly a year since they met in Philly.

He kisses the top of her head, sighing softly, happily.

He wonders if she knows it’s been a year, and that’s the reason for the weekend and the room. He wonders if she knows that he knows?

Time’s a funny thing for vampires to keep track of, and neither of them have mentioned it yet.

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[keptherwaiting]

“All the new places to explore,” he says, taking her hand in his to kiss each fingertip.

“The new music to discover and dance to. The books to read. The clothes to tear off.”

He kisses her palm, and her wrist.

“The arguments we’ll have, the mistakes we’ll make.

“All of it.”

[betagainstme]

“You make me so happy,” she murmurs, watching him, the press of his lips against her skin. “I’d like to believe we’ll never argue but—“

Well, you can’t go hundreds of years without a few hiccups, she’s sure. So far the only true misstep had been the slip up and that wasn’t even an argument. Just a sad day.

Alice leans in, pressing a kiss against his chin, then cheek. “I love you.”

[keptherwaiting]

“I love you too. And maybe we’ll just argue over what book to read next.”

He reaches up, combing wet fingers through her hair, tucking loose strands behind her ears. He smiles at her.

“Or what clothes I’m allowed to tear. That seems likely.”

[betagainstme]

“Honey, you can honestly tear whatever you like,” Alice laughs, leaning into his hand. “I only put up a fight for pretenses.”

And she’ll just buy more. It’s not like she doesn’t own enough clothes to wear something different every day.

The haze of steam, the hot water and the happiness between the two of them makes her feel floaty, untethered. She feels whole, with him before her.

Turning around again, Alice presses herself against his chest, fitting under his chin as she draws his arm over her once more. “We can argue about whether or not cowboy boots go with everything.”

[keptherwaiting]

Jasper laughs.

“Honey, ‘long as I’m wearing ‘em, they go with everything.”

Besides, she is the one who bought him the boots. She should’ve foreseen his wanting to wear them often. And -

“You liked it when they were all I was wearin’ that one night,” he adds, whispering in her ear.

[betagainstme]

His lips against her ear send a shiver through her and she laughs softly—he’s not wrong, but:

“I think I was distracted by other things at that moment.”

He’s right about the other thing too, though—somehow Jasper manages to make the boots look perfect with every outfit, even if she knows they shouldn’t go together. Maybe that’s what true love does to you—warps your sense of fashion in favor of seeing a smile on Jasper’s face.

“You can wear the boots with whatever you want,” Alice smiles, looking up at him again. “I don’t think this can even count as an argument.”

[keptherwaiting]

"Hey, just because you conceding early on doesn't mean it wasn't an argument."

He grins, and nips at the shell of her ear, follows the curve of it with his lips.

"I had to argue my points that the boots go with everything - and can also be worn when naked."

[betagainstme]

She presses back against him, shivering again at the nip, the feel of his lips against her ear.

“You’re very distracting when you want to win an argument,” she protests softly, her head tilting to the side to allow him better access to her ear, neck, wherever. “You’re very distracting now, too.”

[keptherwaiting]

He chuckles at her shiver, her soft protests. "Are you accusin' me of not playing fair?"

He tries to sound shocked, and yet fails to do so as he continues to trail his lips down her neck. He sounds very much like he's not playing fair.

He sounds, if anything, like he's trying to seduce her, even though he already has her naked.

[betagainstme]

"I do believe," Alice inhales sharply, her fingers curling at his thigh, "you are not playin' fair. At all."

She lets her head fall back against his shoulder, her hand sliding up his leg with a trail of her nails. "I don't mind though. This time."

Nor anytime, truly.

[keptherwaiting]

Jasper stirs against her, shifts at the scrap of her nails along his leg.

"You never play fair," he says, nipping at her shoulder. "Your existence is not fair."

He presses his face against her neck then, inhaling deeply. That scent that is uniquely hers, that he can't get enough of, mixed with the florals of whatever soap she'd dropped in the tub before they'd crawled in.

[betagainstme]

"My apologies," Alice laughs, twisting around again after a moment, wanting to look at him, to kiss him.

Her hands cup his face and she does just that--a slow slide of their lips, taking her time to trace the shape of them, enjoy.

"However shall I make up the pain of my existence to you, my love?" She murmurs against his mouth, her smile lost against his lips.

[keptherwaiting]

“It really hurts, darlin’.“ Jasper pouts against her smile, being silly because he loves the way it makes her giggle and laugh. “Kissin’ helps.”

[betagainstme]

His silliness works, making her grin stretch wide as she shakes her head at him.

“Really? You’d think me being closer would make it worse.” Alice punctuates each word with a kiss on his cheeks (and a laugh).

[keptherwaiting]

"No, no, the closer you are, the better it is," he promises her, sitting up from where he'd been leaning back against the tub to lean into her kisses more.

He brings his hands to her shoulders, and then runs them down her sides, disappearing under the soapy water to settle on her hips.

"Touchin' helps too."

[betagainstme]

“—ah, like drinking little bits of poison to get used to it.” Alice nods, affecting a wise expression.

“I read that somewhere. I’m not poisoning people.”

Just in case he doesn’t know that she’s not a secret poison hoarder.

She shifts and wiggles a little under his hands, leaning in to kiss him again. “Well, let me make it better, my love.”

[keptherwaiting]

Jasper laughs, leaning away from her kiss but keeping his hands firmly on her hips. "Now hold on, should I be concerned with what you're readin'?"

[betagainstme]

Her fingers wrap around his biceps, crowding him as he leans away. Water sloshes over the edge this time but she pays it no mind.

“Come back here,” Alice laughs, “you can’t get away from me.”

[keptherwaiting]

"Should I be shoutin' for help?"

He keeps teasing her, even as he lets her crowd into his space.

"Will anyone hear me? Have you already poisoned the entire hotel staff?"

[betagainstme]

“They’re already gone,” she grins, letting her hands slide up to his neck, pressing herself against him.

“It’s just you and me in this hotel now—I’ve somehow poisoned everyone here while also never leaving your side.”

Alice kisses his chin, his cheek. “I’m magic like that.”

[keptherwaiting]

"I always knew there was somethin' special about you, darlin'."

His arms come up around her, holding her close, her body slippery against his in the water.

"My terrifyin' little murderess."

He captures her lips in a kiss, a slow slide of his lips against hers.

[betagainstme]

Alice laughs into his kiss, her grin wide and bright, even if he can’t see it.

She wraps her arms around his shoulders, slipping against his chest in the water.

“I love you,” she mumbles against his mouth. “So much.”

[keptherwaiting]

“I love you too,” Jasper replies, a murmur against her mouth. He sighs, happily.

This year with her has been such a sharp contrast to the rest of his vampiric life; she’s made him so happy.

He laughs suddenly, a soft noise, just thinking about it all. “Never thought I’d be in a bath, in an inn on some island in Canada, with my beautiful mate in my arms.”

[betagainstme]

It’s funny—she’s always known his life would end up like this. As soon as she woke up and saw him in that first vision.

Alice’s smile softens and she pulls back to look at her mate. Her mate. It doesn’t matter how many visions she saw, she’s so pleased they came true.

“I’m so glad you were the first thing I saw when I woke up. So I could make this happen, with you.”

[keptherwaiting]

“I’m glad you saw me and waited for me,” he says, meeting her gaze with a soft one of his own.

He unwraps his arms from around her to touch her face, to trace her delicate features, the corners of her smile.

“Sometimes I feel like I might be dreaming.”