Break

A/N: Happy Birthday, Teenuh! We hope you have a wonderful day, and that you enjoy these boys.

As ever, we do not own Twilight - it owns us.

Pairing: Edward and Jasper

Rating: T

ooOoo

Tired

I squint at the screen and then rub my eyes, sighing as I stretch my back. When I open my eyes again, they zoom in on the clock.

3:23

"Ugh."

"You okay, babe?" Jasper calls from the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answer automatically.

Just been working on this shit non-stop since six this morning.

He puts a cup of coffee beside my keyboard and sits on the edge of my desk, running his fingers through my hair.

"Ed, come on… you've been at this for hours. Take a break?"

His words echo my thoughts, but I shake my head.


Debate

I close my eyes at his sigh – partially to avoid seeing his disappointment and partially because the feel of his fingers in my hair is almost enough to lull me to sleep.

"Ed, babe, please. Come to the park with me. Take a walk; get some air. Then you can get back to work with a fresher perspective. What do you say?"

Shaking my head again, I look at him. "I don't have time-" I start.

His, "How much have you actually gotten done in the last thirty minutes?" cuts me off, winning the argument as he knew it would.


Walk

I feel better as soon as we step outside. On our stoop, I inhale deeply as he slips his hand into mine. He makes no comment, but his satisfied smirk says it all.

"Know-it-all," I mutter under my breath, raising the back of his hand to my lips to take the sting from the words.

He laughs and pulls me closer, kissing me softly. "Come on," is all he says.

He laces our fingers together, and our hands swing between us naturally as we walk. I feel tension leaving my shoulders, replaced by gratitude for how well he knows me.


Serene

We end up walking along our favorite trail in the park. We're lucky to live close to one, but then, that's why we chose to buy our house, after all.

Neither of us feels the need to talk, content to simply enjoy being in each other's company and take in the scenery.

Eventually, he pulls me to "our" spot, not far from the pond. It's there that we start talking quietly about inconsequential things that somehow matter all the same.

Like the weather, or the color of the leaves on the trees, or the flock of birds flying over us.


Recharged

I'm leaning back against Jasper, his arms wrapped around me, when he presses his lips to my temple.

"Feel better?" he murmurs.

"Mmm," I agree. We kiss softly before he pulls away, cupping my cheeks.

"Good," he says simply, brushing my cheek with his thumb. "Time to go back?"

I make a face but nod. He smiles.

"Come on, then… that dissertation isn't going to edit itself." I roll my eyes at his wink, laughing when he adds, "What? I always wanted to marry a doctor."

"I wasn't a doctor when you married me," I remind him.

"I had faith."