Twilight Imagines

45. Don't Hold Back (Jasper Hale)

(Published September 8, 2025) 

   It was habit to brace myself for pain.  Flying through the air and slamming into the ground ten feet away would hurt if I was still human.  But I wasn't.  I hit the dirt with a thud, but no pain at all.  My eyes snapped open and I moved to get to my feet, but I was too late.  Jasper was already crouched over me, his palm pressed against my neck.  I gave him a sheepish smile, making him shake his head fondly at me.  
   "You're still holding back, Kadia," He told me.  
   I let out a sigh.  "Sorry.  My brain doesn't want to accept this new reality." 
   He stood, offering me a hand up.  I took it, letting him pull me to my feet.  If I had been human, I would've wobbled and nearly toppled over again in my clumsiness.  Now, I stood smoothly, as if I was a stunt person.  It was surreal.  
   "Again," He insisted.  
   Moving quickly, I crouched into position again.  He was teaching me to fight, since getting into trouble was inevitable if I stuck around with his clan.  The Cullens seemed to always be getting dragged into conflicts whether it was their fault or not.  And, since Jasper was my mate, it was very likely I was going to be around them for a long, long time.  That meant I needed to know how to fight.  
   "Go." 
   Running as fast as I could at him, I focused intently on his hands.  He knew exactly where to strike and what to expect from me from experience.  That meant I needed to know what to expect from him so I could counter his attacks.  Instead of moving to punch him like I had been, I twisted into a slide and took his legs out from under him.  He fell as I was getting to my feet and I spun around to leap on top of him.  He was already ready for me, though, his legs easily kicking me away into a tree.  The tree gave a huge groan and cracked at my contact, the upper half falling down into the clearing we had been sparring in.  I fell to my knees on the forest floor beside it and he was over me before I could even think about moving, his arms around my neck.  
   "What did I tell you?" He whispered in my ear.  
   Shivers tingled down my spine, but I shoved them away.  Grabbing his wrists, I ducked into a somersault and managed to throw him on his back.  It broke his hold enough for me to twist around and straddle his waist, my hands now at his throat.  We froze like that for a long moment, just gazing at each other.  Then, his mouth curled up into a half smile and he nodded slowly.  
   "There you go." 
   I gave him a small smile back.  "Did I hurt you?" 
   "You're still holding back, so no." 
   Groaning, I covered my face with my palms.  "I don't know how to do this.  How do you get your mind to accept the changes?" 
   "It just takes time, darlin'.  You'll get it." His hands slid onto my waist and his thumbs gently rubbed against my t-shirt covered ribcage.  
   "Maybe." I dropped my hands from my face, looking at him laying there in the dirt.  "You probably want to get up, don't you?" 
   His smirk grew with a hint of deviousness to it.  "I don't mind this position, actually." 
   If I was still human, I'd be blushing.  Averting my eyes, I rolled off him on the bare dirt space beside him.  He chuckled, turning onto his side and propping his head up on one hand to look at me.  I kept my eyes on the grey sky above us, still amazed at how much detail I could see now.  The layers and shapes in the clouds were so much more intricate than I had ever imagined.  It was incredible to look at.  
   "What are you thinking about?" He murmured, breaking the silence.  
   "Clouds.  Details.  Life."  I shrugged, making the brown leaves beneath me crackle as I moved.  "Anything and everything." 
   "It's going to be a long forever for you if you keep overthinking everything," He teased softly.  
   "I know.  It's just... me." I sighed, covering my face with my hands again.  
   The leaves crackled again and then his large hands were gently pulling mine away.  I looked up into his golden eyes, mesmerized by the different tones of yellow mixed into those complex irises.  I wondered how many different reds were in mine right now.  I wondered if the color repulsed him.  I also wondered how long it would take for them to turn gold like his.  I wondered a lot.  
   "Kadia," He said, snapping me out of my thoughts.  "Stop thinking for a minute, will you?" 
  "Not possible," I told him with a cheesy grin.  
   He chuckled, lightly brushing his fingertips over my temple.  "Do you want some help?" 
   "You control emotions, not thoughts," I pointed out.  
   "I meant like this." 
   He leaned over me, his lips capturing mine eagerly.  I let my arms wrap around his neck, pulling him even closer to me.  He was smooth and gentle despite his eagerness, as if he was afraid of breaking me.  That's when I realized I had to be careful not to break him!  Loosening my hold a little, I let him take control and simply matched his pace.  He smiled a little into the kiss before falling into a comfortable rhythm that was strangely intoxicating.  I found myself getting lost in the kiss, soaking in every second of it.   After what seemed like a long time, he pulled away just enough to look me in the eyes again.  
   "That's better," He murmured with a faint smile.  
   I frowned slightly.  "Were my emotions too loud for you?" 
   "No," He chuckled again.  "I was having a Kadia kiss withdrawal, that's all." 
   Something inside me melted a little at that.  "Have I mentioned that I love you lately?" 
   "Not in the past ten minutes," He teased.  "I love you, too." 
   "Good." I leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek.  "Can we call it a day on the sparring stuff?" 
   He pretended to think about it for a moment.  "Only if you give me another kiss." 
   Like I needed convincing in order to kiss him?  "Deal!"