empathy

ELEVEN

Jasper sighs unhappily. Anastasia left him alone earlier to go and get whatever and vehemently told him no whenever he asked to join her. He isn't sure what it is she is getting, or why it's taking her as long as it does, but he's truly getting bored.

They stupidly haven't bought many books yet and those they have, he's read already. Hell, he has even read hers. Now, he's just lying on the bed and staring up the ceiling while he waits for her to come back.

He can hear her before he can see her. Her gracious steps hurrying down the hallway of their hotel, the key card not working at first and dropping to the ground instead and, most amusingly, the curses rolling off her tongue.

Jasper quickly sits up, leaning his back against the headboard as he grabs one of the books - just in order not to seem as pathetic as he is feeling.

Had you told him a year ago he'd ever be this dependent on someone, he'd laughed you in the face. Much like the major is laughing in his right now.

"Training your upside-down reading skills?" Anastasia raises a brow, settling the bags on the side. He looks at them with furrowed brows but quickly looks away when he hears what she just said.

Oops?

"How was your shopping trip?" he asks her, attempting to change the subject.

Jasper quickly puts the book back down and grabs her wrist to pull her onto the bed with him. She lets her hand rest in his neck and leans in for a quick kiss but pulls away just as quickly - if not even quicker.

"It was great. Emmett called and I promised to call back the moment I got back. You don't mind, do you?" her forehead rests against his and he sighs but shrugs, nonetheless.

Kissing her shoulder as she dials his brother's number, he sits up straight and lets his arms wander around her waist; one hand squeezing her thigh as his lips continue their trail along her shoulder up to her neck.

"Well, finally," Emmett picks up. "Are the others on the line?" Rosalie chirms in as well.

Looking up at Anastasia in confusion, he hears the rest of the family slowly join the call. What the hell is going on?

"Just for the record, this was not my idea," Anastasia turns to look at him. "Alice kept on calling me until I was ready to throw my phone away and when I didn't pick up, she called Emmett. Or well, Antonina and I can't say no to her," she elaborates even though he still isn't sure what she is elaborating on.

"Oh, you love it," Alice means when Anastasia unnecessarily puts them on speaker.

She really, really doesn't.

"Okay, 5, 6, 7, 8," Alice counts and Anastasia whispers another quick apology. "Happy birthday to you," they all start singing.

It sounds a mess, to be honest. Antonina is basically screaming the lyrics way too quickly, Emmett is laughing hysterically, Alice seems hyper motivated, and the rest just seems a little done with it. He'd bet Alice made them do this at least fifty times before today.

Anastasia smirks but finds herself able to refrain herself from laughing as she kisses his temple while the others finish up their little song.

Now, Jasper can't remember his actual birthday and when Alice heard that, she deemed this day, today, February 9th, his new birthday and she's made it a habit to celebrate it every year; even though he himself doesn't really care about it at all.

His fingers dig deeper into her thigh, and he shoots her a look that clearly states he isn't excited about this.

"Open the presents. We would've had them shipped but we didn't' know where you'd be," Alice sulks, clearly pouting about the fact her gift has failed her in such an important situation.

"She made me run around all day," Anastasia grumbles with a roll of her eyes.

"It had to be perfect. I can't believe you don't want your mate's birthday to be perfect," Alice exclaims. "Now, hurry up. Ours first."

Anastasia gets the bags and hands him the one from Alice and Aurelia.

"It's a waistcoat we'd have picked it ourselves but Anastasia picked alright. It will fit you perfectly, "Alice rants excitedly. "For the record, I voted for cowboy boot," Aurelia chirms in and one can practically hear the smirk in her voice.

Jasper peeks into the bag, refraining from laughing at the waistcoat she picked. It's red with tiny mad Santa faces on it. She found it at the sales.

"Yeah, buh! That's our gift," Emmett calls and Anastasia hands him another bag. "I think you might actually rock these," she means with a wink.

"This is from Carlisle and Esme," she adds, handing him the bag she thinks he might enjoy most. Books. Five of them. "And this, is from Antonina," Anastasia holds out a tiny bag.

"Do you like it?" the little girl asks excitedly. It's a tiny Woody figure. After she heard Emmett instructing Anastasia to get cowboy boots, she decided she wants to give him Woody. Because he, too, is a cowboy. "I love it."

"What are you getting him, Ana?" Antonina speaks up again, a happy tone in her voice. Nothing. "It's still a work in process. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."

Shrugging at Jasper, who raises a brow at the clear and obvious lie, she offers an almost innocent smile. His eyes sway to the other bags and her smile turns a little more mischievous.

"Hey, are we done here? We promised Nina to take her to the elephant orphanage," Rosalie speaks up.

"Anastasia's battery is dying either way," Jasper speaks up, wanting to get off the phone as well. He mutters another quick thank you and they all bid goodbye.

"You know, I was hoping being on a completely different continent might get me out of celebrating my birthday," he points out. "Now, what's in those bags?" he adds. "What, the name doesn't give it away."

"Oh, it does," Jasper shakes his head, looking at the Victoria 's secret shopping bags, "I'm just hoping you're gonna show me."

--- -- -

So, I forgot what I wanted to call her originally but I'll definitely go back and change Aurelia's / Georgia's name to one. But I named her Aurelia for now.