Alone Together (Jasper Hale)

31: temperance.

He fell in love with Temperance.

A woman who had graced his presence many moons ago. The young nurse with full lips and bright blue eyes that he had woken up to one morning. After a drunken bout with another man from the night before; he couldn't recall either winning or losing the fight. He thought he'd made his way home but he woke up with the foul stench of piss and rotten meat. The flies annoyingly buzzed and the rats scampered at the sound of footsteps rang in his ears. There was a pounding in his head that wouldn't leave alongside the elated feeling that would soon leave his body. What would be a spiral into his the depression he so desperately tried to drink away from the previous night. 

When the blurry vision finally adjusted, he was met with light pink lips and a woman lightly tapping his cheek with an amused smirk on her face. Her floral perfume engulfed his nostrils and briefly took away the horrid scents around him. He had to blink a few times to wonder if he'd died and gone to heaven; for there was truly an angel that kneeled before him.

"An angel..." He muttered with a groan as she shield him from the bright sun that shone above them. A melodic laughter filled his ears that passed through those lips he craved to touch. He never believed in religion, nor did he care for anything after the loss of his family. But the mere sight of this woman made him think things he normally wouldn't. Love at first sight was it? That's what they called it. An angel was something that was so beautiful that it hurt right? This had to be one of them. He was absolutely convinced. He must've died... he finally drank himself to death.

"No." The woman replied after her laugh. "Temperance." She introduced herself while she stood on her feet. She held a hand out to the poor stranger on the  dirty streets in hopes he was well enough to get on his own two feet. 

She was a systematic woman to say the least. At the young age of nineteen she had become a nurse at a local hospital she had grown up in. She enjoyed helping others whether it was big task or small; it warmed her heart. So once she was old enough, she got herself a job, went to work, came home. If along the way she'd find someone in need she was always there to lend a helping hand. So when she saw a disheveled, unkempt sleeping figure knocked out in an alley two blocks from her house; she had to check on this person. Her instincts made her check his vital signs. He had breathing steadily despite the several bruises on his face and the busted lips. His dilated pupils were relatively within the range of normal, so she didn't think she needed to take him to a hospital. He just reeked of alcohol and from the looks of it, he had gotten into a fight the previous night.

"On your feet now, I haven't gotten all day!" She barked at the man who looked at her hand confused, his eyebrows were knit together. Despite the black eye that formed, she could see his cerulean eyes and underneath the bruised skin, she could tell he was a handsome man. She had just finished the night shift from the hospital and was excited to get to her bed. But now she had this man she felt the need to take care of. She couldn't just leave him out in the alley like that. 

"Sorry..." He grumbled as he took her hand. He grimaced at the sight of filth that wrapped around her soft, ivory skin. He felt bad for touching something so perfect with his tainted skin. She didn't seem to react and frankly only smiled wider once he rose to his feet. The warmth he felt washed away the second she let go and began to walk towards the side walk. He didn't even get to introduce himself. Frustration grew inside him but a lump in his throat formed, unable to speak to her. He watched as her figure gradually grew smaller and smaller. 

"Are you coming or what?" Temperance noticed he hadn't been following her once she made her way towards her apartment. She turned back with his hands clutching her large bag and cocked her head to the side. She faced the unruly man who was more confused as ever but he body moved before his mind could register what he was doing. He kept a distance as he was hot on her tail as she led him to an older apartment building. Not a word was spoken, even after she opened the door to her apartment and ushered him to sit on her dingy living room couch. When she returned with gloves, a bottle of vodka, a hot towel, a needle, and thread he still remained quiet. "What's your name?" She figured she'd ask him now before she sewed the gash on his lips.