jasperxkeane

[jasperxkeane]

dinarazama‌:

Dinara sighed as she sat at the bar. “Well today was a rather slow day. Surprising since a lot of single people are around.”

“People would rather just get drunk at home thank admit that they’re lonely today, I guess.” Jasper stood with his arms crossed in front of his boss. “Which doesn’t make a lot of sense as that’s what they do here every other day of the year.”

[jasperxkeane]

portraitofmichael‌:

Michael, of course, thought he’d been very clear, and was confused that Jasper still didn’t get what he was trying to say. He sighed, and pressed two fingers to his temple, using his free arm. Thinking it over maybe he had been a bit vague. “I- well I know we’ll be okay, I think. It’s just hard to say, so I’m being a bit vague. I’ve just been so focused on hiding this that I guess I think any subtle hint will make people realize it.” He took a deep breath again, and looked up at Jasper. “What I’m trying to say, beyond just the weird metaphors is-” he stopped, the words getting stuck in his throat. He looked down again, his eyes fixing on his knees. “What I’m trying to say is that I’m gay.” He spoke fast and in a low voice, not too low to hear, but low enough.

Jasper stayed silent as Michael spoke, and he was glad he did. He almost didn’t hear what Michael had admitted, too rushed, too quiet, to decipher easily. Once he really registered that Michael had come out to him, Jasper was floored. Not just because Michael was gay, but because it was almost, mundane. Jasper had been expecting something life shattered to hear, and knowing that his friend was just scared to come out was astonishing. Then again, he didn’t know much of his friend’s past, Michael might not have had the same welcoming environment, but with how his mother had welcomed Jasper himself, he highly doubted that as the case. And now he’s been silent too long, caught up in his own internal fuckery as he usually was, but what could he say? He tried to remember what it was like when he came out to his own mother, but it was so long ago, buried deep down with every other memory of her except the last moments she ever had, he couldn’t quite recall what turmoil this could be. “Thank you,” he started, squeezing Michael’s arm once again, “for trusting me with this. I’d like to think I’m very obvious about being gay myself, so you aren’t alone in this.” Jasper smiled at Mike once again, suddenly very aware of the fact that he wanted to kiss him. A lot. It was a feeling that he had for a very long time but never allowed himself to acknowledge as he never even entertained the idea that Michael was anything other than straight. He couldn’t get his hopes up though. Jasper and Michael were friends, and Jasper couldn’t, wouldn’t, risk that for anything.

Boys in books are better

[jasperxkeane]

portraitofmichael‌:

Michael exhaled, looking at Jasper. He could do this. The light pressure of Jasper’s hand on his arm was calming, grounding. After a moment he started speaking again. “Okay, so I’m not trying to be over dramatic, rationally I’m not afraid of dying multiple deaths. Just keep the thing about the poem in mind. See, there’s this thing I’ve been keeping to myself, and I didn’t think I’d need to tell anyone. And I do all these things to avoid having people find out, and now whenever I read my favorite poem it feels like I’m personally offending Oscar Wilde. I don’t even have a physical copy of the poem, I read it in an incognito window on my laptop when I’m home alone.” He sighed, “and I know he’s dead and that even if there is an afterlife Oscar Wilde wouldn’t care what some dude in Hawthorne was up to, but this magnificent legend of a man wrote this poem about his stay in prison for unapologetically being himself. It changed him for life Jasper and even after that he said that he who lives more lives than one, more deaths than one must die, and I’m here completely ignoring that warning. I’m not risking prosecution or anything like that, I’m just scared.” 

Jasper wasn’t too sure what to think anymore, not with what Michael was saying. It no longer sounded like he needed help hiding some corpses, which was good, he wouldn’t have been able to take Paisley with them while they went. He nodded along and squeezed Michael's arm lightly as he spoke, a gentle reminder that he was still there and wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. He didn’t quite understand about Michael feeling like he needed to hide this poem away from any potential onlookers, going as far as to read it in an incognito tab on his laptop, alone. "Mike," he whispered again, not moving his hand off of his arm. "Whatever it is that you're trying to tell me, I can promise you, we'll be okay." He gave Michael a small, reassuring smile. "And that's true whether you believe me or not." There was really nothing Michael could tell Jasper at that point that would make him want to stop talking to the other werewolf. “You have nothing to be afraid of.” After everything Jasper had been through and done himself, he couldn’t pass judgement on anyone else.

Boys in books are better

[jasperxkeane]

portraitofmichael‌:

Michael smiled at the nice comment about his mother, before Jasper said he could tell him anything. For a brief moment Michael regretted saying anything, and considered if he could get out of it somehow, but no. He wanted this, he’d been trying to say it since before the winter potluck. “Well, I don’t know how to say this exactly… Well there’s this poem I’ve been rereading, the Ballad of Reading Gaol, and it’s about Oscar Wilde’s time in prison, and through the whole thing he’s admiring this dude who’s awaiting his execution you know. It’s a beautiful poem, and-” he stops himself, “I’m going a bit off track, sorry. I’m a bit nervous.” He takes a deep breath, and tries again. “Anyway, there’s this line in it that goes he who lives more lives than one, more deaths than one must die, and it kind of hits me I guess, because… well he’s not talking about literal lives of course, it’s not about reincarnation or anything. It’s about living like a secret life you know, kind of like Bruce Wayne living a secret life as Batman. Are you with me so far?”

Jasper sat quietly as Michael tried to work out what he wanted to tell him, and whatever it was, seemed very important, and Jasper wasn't about to rush him on it. While Michael spoke of the poem, Jasper's brow furrowed slightly in confusion. What was Michael getting at, double life? "Yeah, I'm following you so far," he said quietly, not wanting to push Michael too much. Jasper had no idea what Michael was starting to get at, but with how Hawthorne had been to those who lived here, he was starting to suspect that he needed help hiding some bodies, and Jasper knew of a couple places on the outskirts of town that would work well, of course they’d need to move at night when everything was quieter, and they’d need to carry vervain in case they ran into any vampires, but if they moved quick enough it wouldn’t take more than one night per body.  He reached out and placed his hand on Michael's arm in what he hoped was a comforting way. "Breathe, whatever it is you want to tell me, it's alright."

Boys in books are better

[jasperxkeane]

portraitofmichael‌:

Michael smiled, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. He was just a bit embarrassed that his mum always went overboard like this, not because he thought she was embarrassing, but because he thought it made it obvious that he’d never really had friends before. This was Jasper though, Jasper whom he wanted to know his deepest secret, and who already knew that Michael didn’t exactly swim in friends. “Oh, she’s just thrilled that there’s someone to  go all out for, you know. I don’t have people over very often after all.” 

Seeing Jasper like that, putting a piece of candy in his mouth to stop himself from rambling, much like Michael would when he needed an excuse not to say anything, inspired Michael. Before he had a chance to change his mind he took a shaky breath and even before his lips parted he felt his heartbeat rise. “Hey Jasper, can I tell you something?” 

The admission of not having a lot of people to invite over was shocking to Jasper, to say the least. Michael and his mother were some of the most welcoming people Jasper had ever come to known, how anyone would not want to interact with him was beyond anything he could comprehend really. “She’s one of the sweetest women I’ve ever met, you know. A downright saint at some points.” He smiled, shaking his head a bit.

The uptick in Michael’s heart rate, along with the very odd and even more vague question put Jasper on mild edge. He wasn’t scared, no, but worried for his friend, already trying to think of places in Hawthorne to eventually hide a body should that need to be the case. “Of course, you can tell me anything,” was out of his mouth before he really had time to process what he was saying. Was he really okay with someone trusting him that much? Someone that he could trust in return. One look at Michael now, obviously nervous about what he had to say, and how he wanted Jasper to be the one to hear it, was enough to solidify that yes, he made the right call. “You know I’m always here for you.”

Boys in books are better

[jasperxkeane]

portraitofmichael‌:

“Cool, I’ll be right back,” Michael said, trying to contain the emotion in his voice as he got up and headed out to the kitchen. It was something about the way Jasper so casually called him Mike that made him just a little bit teary eyed while he found the snacks. Michael didn’t have nicknames. His mother had called him Mikey when he was younger, but that didn’t count. He’d never had a friend shorten his name like that, and now Jasper did. He smiled like an idiot while he put chocolate and fruit caramels in bowls and found a bigger one for the bag of chips. 

Soon he returned with various snacks and a can of soda for each of them on a tray, as well as a juice box for Paisley. He set it on the little table in the corner between the couches, and sat down so he was sitting in the end of the couch closest to the snack table, even though that made it harder to casually glance over at Jasper, which was a bit of a loss. “Help yourself, mum went a bit wild again.” 

Jasper smiled at Michael as he left, unaware of how the simple act of calling him Mike made him feel. He took the time to check on Paisley more, making sure she was okay on her play mat. Seeing as how she was still entertained by the colorful objects above her and showed so impending signs of distress, Jasper settled back onto the couch just in time to see Michael come back.

"Wow," he said, a little surprised by the amount offered. Hearing that Michael's mom had gone overboard again, and with it remaining unsaid that Jasper's presence was the cause of it was almost more than he could bare. Michael and his mother were so kind to him while asking nothing in return. "Thank you, both you and your mom. This is really nice of you two." He took one of the chocolates that was there and looked at it for a moment. Did they even realize how much this meant to him? “You really don’t need to go all out like this for me though, not that I don’t appreciate it, I really, really do.” He ate the piece of candy then, just to shut himself up.

Boys in books are better

[jasperxkeane]

portraitofmichael‌:

After the disaster that was the winter potluck staying home from this event hadn’t been a difficult choice to make. Jasper wasn’t going either, so Michael had asked him to come over, Now they were both in the living room, Michael curled up in the corner of one couch with a worn out paperback. From his position her could casually glance over at his friend, and smile seeing the other boy read. 

Hey Jasper, can I tell you something? he didn’t say. He wanted to, but the words got stuck in his chest, refusing to come out, so he looked back at his book instead. After a few seconds he said something completely different, “do you want some snacks?” 

@jasperxkeane

A quiet evening in with his friend was just what Jasper needed. While the rest of the town was gathered, all dressed up and making small talk, he was curled up on one of Michael’s couches, reading the book Michael himself gave him while Paisley was on her play mat in front of him so he could easily keep an eye on his niece. It was, peaceful. Something Jasper didn’t think he’d ever get again. Michael gave him a lot of things he never thought he’d have again, and it did things to his feelings.

He looked up when he felt like Michael was going to say something, only seeing him with his nose in the book in his hands. It wasn’t long before Michael asked him about snacks, and he offered him a smile, looking down to make sure Paisley was still enjoying herself before turning back to his friend. “Sure, Mike, that sounds good.” 

Boys in books are better

[jasperxkeane]

jemmaxdams‌:

“Are you sure I’m the one who needs to be trying to make friends? Thank you, either way. I really appreciate how much you love her already. It really helps knowing she has someone else to go to besides her parents if necessary.”

“My life is fine the way it is,” Jasper said with a roll of his eyes. He bounced Paisley a little before smiling at his sister. “Yeah well, what kind of person would I be if I didn’t? But seriously, go have fun. You know we’ll be here if you really start to worry, or if you are just ready to go home.”

[jasperxkeane]

jayjaythexjettxplane‌:

Jett smiled at the girl bringing up the puppy again. Damn she had a good memory. He sighed and looked at him. “So you like kids?” he smiiled and chuckled. “I’m surprised you didn’t become a teacher or something.” He ssmiled and patted his shoulder. 

“No this food is nasty i don’t like it. It’s not like the food daddy makes me.” She said as she looked at Jasper. “You have pretty hair can I braid it?”

“Did you forget who I was?” Jasper asked, glancing at his older brother out of the corner of his eye before looking back at Juniper. “That’s not an extra good thing to say about anything, Juniper. Someone worked really hard on this food.” The request caught him off guard. Sometimes he forgot just how long his hair really was. Maybe it was time for a cut. “I’ll let you braid my hair if you eat some more.”

[jasperxkeane]

jayjaythexjettxplane‌:

Jett looked at him. ‘That wasn’t my choice. And wait jemma did mention having a kid. but she didn’t have her.” He said as he looked at him. “That’s not your kid right?” He said ashe looked at him.

“Thank you. It’s a picture of my daddy and the puppy he said he’d get me for my birthday if i  was extra good.” She said as she looked at him.

“Nope, I am not a father. This is Jemma’s daughter, Paisley. I promised her I’d watch her tonight so Jemma can relax.” Jasper didn’t take his eyes off of Juniper as he spoke. “He promised you a puppy, did he? You know what would help you be extra extra good for that puppy? If you ate some of this yummy food here,” he said, holding the fork a little closer to the girl.

[jasperxkeane]

jayjaythexjettxplane‌:

Jett smiled as he saw his little brother. Jeez the kid had grown a bit since the last time he saw him. “See you grew out the beard huh. You’re starting to look like a fine young man.” He chuckled and looked at him. “That’ my daughter. Juniper.” He spoke as the little girl looked up. ‘Who’s this daddy?”

Jasper couldn’t help the eye roll at Jett’s comment, already feeling like a child again around him. It was bad enough having Jemma around again, but with Jett here too? Jasper was already thinking of packing up and moving on. “Wait, you and Jemma are both parents now?” he asked, looking between Juniper and Paisley. “At least neither of you named your kids after rocks, although I see you stuck with the ‘J’ theme.” Jasper turned his attention to the little girl again. “Hi, Juniper. I’m your uncle Jasper. That’s a really cute picture you’re drawing.”

[jasperxkeane]

jayjaythexjettxplane‌:

Jett sighed as he put his head down on the table before he gave the person a small ‘mhmm.’ He rubbed his face before he looked at the kid. “J-Jasper?” He said as his face almost lit up.

Jasper had already grabbed the fork off the table, scooping some of the food onto it and holding it out before hearing his name leave the other’s. “How do you-- Jett?” He hissed, keeping his voice low only because of Paisley still in his hold. “What are you doing here? Who is this kid you’re with? Why is this happening to me?” The last question was asked more to himself as he turned to the little girl again.

[jasperxkeane]

portraitofmichael‌:

“You shouldn’t be,” Michael said, feeling more than a little bit hypocritical as he had pretty much accepted that his life just sucked. He shrugged and was about to say something else when Jasper asked if he wanted to hold the child. Slowly he set his glass of water down on a table, his eyes fixed on the girl. “Hold her? Are you sure that’s okay, I’ve never- I haven’t held a child before.” 

“It is what it is,” Jasper said again with a small, sad smile. He watched as Michael set his cup down on the table, moving closer to the other wolf. “It’s a lot easier than you might think, and she’s pretty settled right now, I’m sure you’ll be fine. Besides, I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t trust you. Just, hold your arms out, and then I’ll help you position them properly.”

[jasperxkeane]

portraitofmichael‌:

Michael smiled a kinda sad smile, and looked at the child, “she’s adorable,” kinda like you, he kept the last part to himself and instead said, “and don’t worry about snapping it’s o-.” He stopped, then shook his head, “I mean, it’s obviously not okay, because that’s really sad Jasper, but the snapping itself is fine, I don’t mind.” He didn’t say anything about how he was questioning how good a friend he could be if Jasper thought he assumed the worst about him, but he made a note to try to be a better friend to the other wolf, if he could do that without letting him get too close. 

“My life is what it is, and I’m more than okay with it.” He shrugged, blowing some of his bangs out of his eyes. “But snapping at you is not okay, Michael, you don’t deserve it. You’re one of the few people who haven’t treated me like... me, ever. I’m bad with expressing emotions but I do really appreciate you.” Jasper smiled at Michael before looking to Paisley. “Did you want to try holding her?” he asked. Michael was one of the only people Jasper would ever trust with such a task. 

[jasperxkeane]

portraitofmichael‌:

Michael swallowed when Jasper talked to him, and responded with a nervous smile as he fidgeted with the sleeve of his blazer. “N-no that’s not it,” he said after a second or two had passed. “You just look really uh… at peace with her, like she belongs in your arms.” That and he’d been debating whether he should talk to Jasper about that thing, and hadn’t realized he’d been staring. 

Jasper couldn’t help the small blush that colored his cheeks as Michael’s words. He cleared his throat and adjusted his grip on Paisley. “Oh. Thanks, Michael. That’s a really sweet thing of you to say. Sorry I kind of snapped before, I’m just used to people assuming the worst with me. But this is my niece, Paisley.”

[jasperxkeane]

emmaxturner‌:

“Hey, if this is how you want to spend the party, who can stop you? Well, there’s probably someone, but it’s not necessary. She’s happy, you’re happy. I’m sure her mom is grateful to be able to have some time to herself. Making friends should be rather easy at this event.”

“The only one who can stop me is her mother, but that won’t happen until Jemma is ready to leave.” Jasper shifted Paisley again and smiled over at Emma. “She’ll do great. She’s never been able to be in one place for long without becoming friends with someone. But what about you, how are you enjoying things so far?”

[jasperxkeane]

jemmaxdams‌:

She didn’t want to burden her brother with watching her daughter, but as she looked at how happy Paisley looked in Jasper’s arms she couldn’t take her away right now. “Are you sure? I don’t want to ruin your night by dumping her onto you.” The thought of having friends who weren’t the ones she lived with was a blessing. “Wouldn’t that be nice?” She chuckled lightly.

“Jemma, I’m doing us both a favor by taking her tonight, you just don’t want to admit it. You need a night to yourself where you don’t need to worry about her, where you can actually talk to people. It’ll be good, and I’ll have her as a buffer so people don’t want to talk to me. It’s a win-win situation.”