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SKIN & BONES
vi. GETTING TO KNOW YOU

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IN HINDSIGHT, BEFRIENDING A vampire was probably the most on-brand thing Lorelai could do at this point in her life.

She'd always wondered about the Cullens, as did everyone in Forks. They were an enigmatic bunch, rich beyond anything Lorelai could probably comprehend if they truly were immortal. She had so many questions, but part of her wondered if knowing the answers would do her any good. The Cullens said knowing their family secret put her in grave danger, after all.

Then again, she'd already gotten this far.

Jasper Hale intrigued Lorelai more and more as the days passed. They were opposites in the sense that Lorelai was much more open than the closed-off vampire. She knew Jasper just kept his distance to protect Lorelai, worried that he'd suck her dry. Now, that was something that worried Lorelai just a little bit, but she'd just keep that to herself for now.

Throughout their time as friends, which wasn't more than a few weeks, Lorelai did most of the talking. Sometimes Jasper would speak, but he preferred to keep his distance. He was warming up though. Slowly but surely. As much as an ice-cold immortal dude could, at least.

"Hey, Jasper, can I ask you something?"

It had become Lorelai's mission to become this boy's friend. It might've been because she was lonely, because no one in Forks really wanted to associate with her (and Charlie being the Chief probably didn't help much in terms of her getting invited to parties). For all of her years spent alone, she never thought she was a lonely person until she got a taste of company. Company that wasn't her father or sister, at least. When was the last time Lorelai even made friends?

She'd been sitting on the ground, legs crisscrossed. Jasper had been several feet away, most likely hiding out in a tree.

This was about as much as their friendship had developed since they met. It was more for Lorelai's safety than anything. She'd assured Jasper that as long as he didn't kill her on purpose, he could at least walk closer to her. But most of the time, he refused. He was stoic in that sense. He liked to observe, which made sense for a hunter.

He was so insistent on staying away from her, yet he kept finding her on her daily walks through the woods. It wasn't by chance. Lorelai knew this much after learning about how sharp a vampire's senses are. He kept finding her, and Lorelai figured he was as curious as she was.

"That day we met," Lorelai went on, "Alice said she saw me in a vision. Was she on something, or do you guys have superpowers, too?"

A short-lived gust of wind vented as Jasper appeared a few feet before Lorelai in seconds.

"In my world, certain vampires possess special abilities that may be gained or enhanced when they're turned," Jasper began after a moment of thinking. "When a human transforms into a cold one, their strongest trait is brought into their new life. When someone has a particularly intense skill or characteristic, it heightens after their transformation. Every gift is unique, never working the same way twice because no one ever thinks exactly the same way."

"So Alice has... a gift...?"

Jasper nodded. "Alice is clairvoyant. She can see into the future. That's how she saw you coming. She believes you're an important piece to our future, though she hasn't quite said why," explained Jasper. "Edward, on the other hand, can read minds, all except for your sister's."

"Is there something wrong with her?" queried Lorelai. "I mean, there's plenty wrong with her, but why can't he read her mind?"

The corners of Jasper's lips curled at that. "None of us are sure."

Lorelai hummed. She glanced down at her sleeve, which had rolled up to reveal her bony arm. Frowning, she tugged it back down. "Do you have a gift?"

Jasper nodded again. "I'm the last of my family with a gift. I can feel the emotions of those around me, as well as manipulate them," he revealed.

Guilt rushed over her. Rather than being able to read her thoughts, Jasper sensed every dreadful emotion she felt toward herself. All of the disdain, the frustration, the hatred, the sorrow. That seemed infinitely worse than hearing her thoughts. Maybe Lorelai was a lonely person, but she never wanted anyone to share what she was feeling. She never wanted anyone to know what that was like, and here Jasper was, taking it all in without complaint.

"I can feel what you're feeling right now," began Jasper. "Trust me, you are worth it."

Lorelai's gaze fell. "You don't even know me. I could be the worst person you've ever met."

"Maybe so," Jasper recognized. "But whether I've known you for a day or a year, no one deserves to feel the way you feel."

There came a pause. Then, he added, "Besides, I can think of a few hundred people that are far worse than you."

She stifled a laugh. "Is that so?" She took him in for a moment, how the gloomy overcast made his skin seem more opulent, his golden hair darker. "Vampire crime must be interesting, huh?"

"I wouldn't call what we deal with crime, necessarily. Not with the laws we have in place," he said. "There are more often petty disputes. Trespassing nomads, greedy vultures looking to start a war... It's not as exciting as those shows you were talking about."

"Right, being immortal isn't as interesting as being human."

He shook his head. "I don't think—"

"Oh, come on," she interrupted. "Don't do the whole immortality sucks spiel! It's so predictable!"

He studied her, a glint crossing his topaz eyes. "I mean this with the utmost respect, but you don't seem like the kind of person that'd want to live that long anyway."

Lorelai nearly snorted. "You're right about that," she said. "But you're wrong, too. I mean... isn't that the great part about living for so long?" She traced her hand over the tall grass, threading it between her fingers. "You can live as many lives as you want. You can be a new person every century. Someone different. Someone... better. You're not as stuck as the rest of us." She hesitated. "I don't know if I'm a bad person, but I feel like one most of the time. Feels like all I do is disappoint people."

For a moment, there was silence. But a calm swelled through Lorelai that she knew wasn't her own. She glanced back at Jasper, who was just studying her. That was all he seemed to do. He wasn't much of a talker. She didn't know why she even bothered mentioning anything—

"You haven't disappointed me," Jasper confessed. "If anything... I've probably disappointed you. I'm still embarrassed about how we met."

A grin took Lorelai's suddenly rather warm cheeks. It was rare that she felt so understood by someone. It was like he knew exactly what she wanted to hear without her having to say more. She supposed that was part of his gift. He knew what to say because he did understand.

"Yeah, you're never living that one down," she laughed. "You are... really strange, Jasper. You know that, right?"

She shouldn't be saying that to a vampire, probably. She knew he was only there because Alice saw her in a vision, whatever that meant. She'd wanted to know more, but apparently, visions change all the time. Lorelai didn't know much about that particular world, but she figured it was better if she didn't know what her future held. In the past, she didn't care about tomorrow. Now—and she hated admitting this to herself—she felt a little intrigued. Was there a place for her in the world, in the future? The idea seemed so foreign.

"And yet," Japer said, "you're still here, Miss Swan."

To her surprise, Lorelai laughed again. Jasper had a funny habit of surprising her. He was so reserved, so tense all the time. But he had a great sense of humor, she was realizing. It was dry, less annoying—unlike her own. It made her want to keep talking to him, just to see what else would come out of his mouth.

Plucking a handful of grass out of the ground, she tossed it at Jasper. "Yeah, yeah," she replied. "I guess... I guess getting to know you isn't as bad as I thought it'd be."

Jasper placed a hand over where his heart should have been in a mocking manner. "You really thought it would be bad?" he wondered, clearly joking. "You're breaking my heart, ma'am."

A laugh left Lorelai as one thought rolled through her mind.

It was nice not feeling so alone anymore.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

sorry for how short this filler chapter was lol. i really just want to show their friendship as it grows so that when they inevitably get together, it doesn't feel super rushed. :)

Revised: November 6th, 2019
Revised: May 24th, 2024