Awkward

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight franchise. Though when you think about it, I've changed so much in this, I guess the only thing it really has in common with canon are the character names…

Chapter One

A/N - Gift fic for the awesome and amazing adVENTitiious! Hope it's up to your standards! And just in case all you lovely readers didn't catch it in the summary, this is AH/AU and ALL characters in this story are OOC. You have been warned. Right, enjoy and do let me know what you think! :)

"Are you sure about this?"

Edward Masen-Cullen stood at the edge of First Beach, a full parking lot behind him, the patchy, scraggly grass beneath his white trainers scuffed from the many feet that had recently trampled through the area. His hands were stuffed in the pockets of his light-wash jeans and his green eyes surveyed the swaying bonfire in the distance warily, the numerous dark figures surrounding the dancing flames upping his trepidation. His question was swallowed by the wind blowing across the wet sand and turning the sea into choppy waves crashing against the shore. It really wasn't the best night to have a party on the beach, in his opinion.

"Sure I'm sure about this. And so are you."

A slight smile tugged at the corner of Edward's lips at the confident, upbeat statement. At least he didn't have to face this alone. No doubt that if he had had to, he wouldn't have even made it out of the house. The smile died at the thought, nerves making him shift on the spot, spear a hand through his thick, darkly red hair and tug at the bottom of his forest-green woollen sweater that, according to the girl next to him, made his eyes look so deeply green everyone would think he had gemstones instead of pupils.

Of course, he'd pointed out that having gemstones instead of pupils really wouldn't be a good thing, would it, as how would he be able to see? That comment had earned him a groan and a smack in the shoulder, to which Edward had frowned in confusion and annoyance as he'd rubbed the bound-to-be-forming bruise. His best friend seemed to do that a lot around him. Groan and hit him, that is. He wasn't entirely sure why, though it probably had something to do with how literal and oftentimes analytical he was. Most jokes and common sayings flew right over his head.

Laughter filtered across the beach, the punch of a bass underlying it, and Edward bit his bottom lip, wire-framed glasses slipping down his sweaty nose. There were a lot of people on the beach, Forks residences and La Push alike. People he hadn't seen in a year. People he wasn't sure he wanted to see. Edward swallowed and shifted from foot to foot, wanting nothing more than to turn around, get back in the car and retreat to safety. If it hadn't been for the fact that he knew he was there, and that there only had a couple of days before the new school year started, meaning he was very quickly running out of time…

"So we going or what?"

Oh yes. She wouldn't let him escape either, would she?

"It's a high school party," Edward pointed out a little desperately, clearing his throat when his voice cracked. Jesus. He couldn't do this.

"So?" came the answer, amusement in the tone, "it's not like there's going to be a college party in these parts anytime soon. And you know that there isn't just high school students down there."

Edward shook his head and turned, his fingers tapping rapidly against his thigh in his pocket, and seeing the movement, Bella Swan turned as well, pushing back her long brown hair as it blew in her face.

"The La Push kids don't like me," Edward said, words rushing from his mouth, "they never have. Well, it really only one person that definitely doesn't like me, but the others have never said anything different. I'm boring and weird and they won't want me there. It's best if we just go home. Let's go home, yes? It's too cold, and it won't be any fun, and-"

A hand over his mouth halted his rambling.

"Hey. Calm down. We're not here for the La Push kids. We're here for one reason and one reason only, and isn't that reason good enough to ignore the dickheads? Do you really want to leave now and regret it for the next year or quite possibly longer?"

"No," Edward mumbled from behind her hand, shoulders sinking. Bella nodded and removed her gag, and her companion sighed and glanced over at the bonfire again, his gaze searching and stopping on honey-blond curls reflecting in the light of the fire. Though the rest of him was still in shadow, Edward had imagined running his fingers through that hair so often that he could pick his curls out even at a distance. He stomach knotted. "It's just… what of he laughs in my face?"

"Is he the type of person who would do that?"

"No," he murmured again, a thought niggling in the back of his brain that a kind rejection would somehow be worse than a cruel one. He rolled his shoulders against the thought and rocked back on his heels.

"So what are you worried about? He's leaving in a few days, Edward, just like we are, so even if he does turn you down, you won't need to see him again. This is your last chance to act on something that you've wanted for seven years. It could be your only chance. Don't let fear make you waste it."

Affection for his best friend and fellow MIT student bloomed in his chest, and taking strength from that, Edward straightened, turned to her again and blew out a breath. "Okay, you're right. We'll go to the party."

"Yay!" Bella cheered, making Edward frown a little at her enthusiasm. "Let's get down there before you change your mind!"

She grabbed his hand and tugged him down onto the beach, the soft sand pressing under the soles of their shoes. Her hand stayed wrapped firmly around his as they approached the group, and not for the first time Edward silently thanked whoever others chose to believe in that Bella had agreed to come stay with him and his family for the summer. He'd met the bright, chatty girl at the beginning of the year when he'd been given the wrong information and had ended up thinking her dorm room was his. Of course, he'd insisted his info couldn't be wrong, as it had been sent to him officially, and it was only after the mix-up had been cleared up that he had hot-tailed it out of her dorm with a red face and not a little irritation at a system that had failed him.

Bella, however, had for some reason decided she'd liked him and had actively sort him out the following day. She'd kept seeking him out, constantly getting in his way, until he'd woken up one morning thinking that he really needed to tell her a story he'd thought she'd appreciate and realized that he considered her a friend.

As the year had gone on, she'd gone from friend to best friend, something he'd never had before. He loved her. Platonically of course – a fact that had made her chuckle and pat his shoulder indulgently when he'd panicked one day and blurted that he was gay so couldn't possibly have sex with her – but he loved her all the same.

They'd had a good summer. They'd spent much of it either relaxing at home watching movies, or being tourists in Port Angeles and Seattle, and they'd only gone into Forks occasionally when his mother had made them – or more accurately, made him. Edward hadn't had the best middle and high school experiences, so hadn't been all that sad to leave the small town and head to Massachusetts. He'd been quite content not to run into any of his old school mates over the summer.

That is until Bella had found out about the crush Edward had had since he was twelve years old.

Jasper Hale. The bonfire loomed in front of them and Edward's eyes sort out those honey curls again, his heart picking up speed. The man was standing back on the other side of the fire talking to Emmett McCarty, a red cup in his hand, looking as outrageously attractive as ever in dark, loose-fit Levi's and a faded blue sweatshirt. Jasper had lived across the road from Edward ever since Carlisle and Esme Cullen had adopted Edward and he'd moved into their home. His biological parents, Edward and Elizabeth Masen, had died when a bus had ploughed into their car when he was six. After that, he'd lived in a group foster home for five years and four months until he'd gotten on the wrong side of a couple of bullies and had ended up under Dr Carlisle Cullen's care in hospital as a result.

He still didn't understand what he'd said to the boys to set them off, but then again, he didn't care all that much now either. It had gotten him a second set of parents who loved him and that was all that mattered.

He'd first noticed Jasper a week after moving into the house. The boy had been sitting on his front step screwing a wheel back onto his skateboard, and his even-longer-back-then curls had been hanging in his face. Edward had cocked his head and stared, for some reason unable to help himself. Jasper must have sensed the attention because he'd looked up, and Edward had found himself looking into curious brown eyes, blond hair falling over his forehead and just brushing his eyelashes.

For the first time in his life, Edward had felt a strange tingling tension in his stomach. When Jasper had gotten to his feet, his body stretching out, Edward's eyes had widened and the foreign tingle had grown. Heating and spreading, it had rushed through him, making it hard to breathe, and Edward had abruptly turned and fled back into the house, confused and a little frightened.

His first ever wet dream that night hadn't helped that confusion at all.

Despite a common first impression, Edward wasn't stupid. He'd known what it'd meant. He'd known what dreaming about a boy kissing him, a boy touching him, a boy putting his hands down his pants and feverishly stroking him had meant. But he was weird anyway, with being an orphan, and not understanding everyday humour, and really liking numbers and science and learning in general. He didn't want to add liking his own sex to the already long list. So he done his best to ignore both Jasper and those different feelings; feelings had had popped up whenever he'd seen his across-the-road neighbour, and feelings that had become impossible to deny when Edward had gone to high school and had been in the same educating system as two-years-older boy for the first time.

Maybe it was the fact that Edward had been so standoffish with Jasper at first that had led to no familiarity developing between the two boys beyond being polite to the person you lived on the same street with, once Edward was in high school. Maybe it was the fact that Edward hadn't been popular at all, considered strange and a nerd by most of Forks High, while Jasper had been very popular. Maybe Jasper just hadn't liked him altogether. Whatever the reason, Edward's very few conversations with the other man had only ever consisted of small talk, stilted and forced by their parents during dinner invites.

That was something Edward really, really wanted to change.

Those different feelings had never gone away. Or to be more specific, those different feelings for Jasper had never gone away. As the boy had turned into a man, he'd only grown more attractive, and Edward had spent many a night with his hand wrapped around his cock, imagining Jasper's hand, Jasper's mouth, and coming hard to the images his brain had produced. It was debilitating, wanting someone so much, especially when you only wanted that someone. Even Jasper leaving for college and then Edward doing the same two years later hadn't alleviated his infatuation, and it was getting rather ridiculous.

How was he supposed to accept and embrace who he was if he saw sexy curls and imagined dark, burning eyes whenever he looked at a man? He desperately wanted to know the heat of touch, and that wasn't going to happen if he continued to compare ever set of shoulders, every torso and back, every groin to Jasper Hale's. If he ever had a chance of moving on, he needed to know that there was absolutely nothing for his hormone-ridden body to cling to back home.

In essence, he needed to throw himself at Jasper's feet and have the man say yes or no, once and for all.

That was what that night was about. And fuck, was he terrified. He'd never put himself on the line like he intended to, especially not in front of people whom he didn't particularly like. But as Bella had said, they only had a couple of days before they went back to Massachusetts and Jasper went back to whatever college he attended (Edward had deliberately chosen not to find out where Jasper had picked, afraid that it'd influence him too much if he knew), and considering it had taken his best friend practically all summer to convince him to take the chance, it really was now or never.

Do it now or regret it later. He grimaced and followed Bella as she led him around the fire, stopping at a right angle to Jasper, furthest away from the ocean and right in front of a long picnic table covered in red cups. She bypassed the open bottles of liquor and reached into a cooler filled with rapidly melting ice, handing Edward a long-necked bottle of beer. Edward took it automatically and then frowned down at it.

"We're underage."

Bella grinned. "I know. You can have one, Edward. Trust me; it'll help with the nerves."

"Really?" he asked hopefully, his unease at breaking a rule fading when Bella nodded, still grinning. He pursed his lips, then slowly twisted the top off and took a gulp. The bitter, yeasty taste hit him immediately and his face screwed up. Bella laughed.

"Yeah, it takes a bit of getting used to. You'll probably like a lager better; it's not quite as strongly flavoured-"

"Edward? Edward Cullen?"

Both Bella and Edward turned at the nasally voice and Edward blinked at the skinny blonde standing in front of him. Lauren Mallory hadn't changed much in the year since he'd last seen her. Her hair had grown long again, stopping halfway down her back, but apart from that, he couldn't see any differences. She still wore needle-thin high heels, scandalously short skirts and far too much makeup.

Although, come to think of it, the lack of a sneer on her face was decidedly different. Edward blinked again.

Why was she talking to him?

"Um, Lauren. Hello."

"It is you!" she squealed, leaping forward to strangle him in an overly enthusiastic hug. Edward choked and tried to pull away, but her arms were like limpets. "I thought it was! It's so good to see you! I love what you're wearing! You're looking really good."

She purred that last part right in his ear, body pressed against his, and even Edward couldn't misunderstand such blatant signals. Bewilderment replaced his surprise. It's only a sweater and a pair of jeans. Why is she acting so out of character? His brows folded inward and he tugged at her arms again.

She clung as if superglued. Edward began to panic.

"Honey, who's this?"

Relief lanced through him when Lauren stiffened at the cheerful voice and then pulled back, that familiar sneer finally in place. Bella stood by Edward's side and smiled while Edward cleared his throat and tried to pull himself together. He didn't particularly like being touched unless it was his parents or Bella, or he'd initiated or invited it.

"Isabella Swan, Lauren Mallory," he muttered. Bella held out her hand to shake. Lauren gave her a rapid once-over, sniffed and took it, holding only Bella's fingers.

"How do know Edward?" the platinum blonde asked, and Edward frowned at the rudeness of the question. Bella just continued to smile.

"I'm his friend," she replied. Lauren's eyes narrowed, obviously hearing more in the answer than Edward heard, and going by the glint in Bella's eyes, there was definitely more to hear. Lauren sniffed again and looked back at the baffled male of the trio.

"Right. It's great to see you again, Edward. I'll be here most of the night if you want to spend some time in different company."

She turned and sauntered off, the surrounding teenagers giggling and whispering, and Edward turned to Bella with a frown.

"What just happened?"

"What are you more confused about, the fact that she was a lot friendly than I'm guessing she's ever been before, or what happened afterwards?" his friend asked, grinning again. Edward flushed and shifted on the spot.

"I, um, figured she was… ah…"

"Coming on to you? Yeah, she was."

"Shut up," Edward muttered, scowling at the laughter in her tone. "But what did you tell her that I didn't pick up on?"

Bella shrugged. "I gave her the impression that I was your girlfriend," she answered, taking a swig of her beer. Edward's mouth fell open.

"What?" he yelped, eyes flying across the bonfire in a panic, a jolt running through him when for the second time in his life he met curious brown eyes. He quickly turned back to his companion. "Why'd you do that for? Now everyone's going to think I'm heterosexual! He's going to think… Bella! You've ruined it!"

"No I haven't and calm down," Bella chuckled, shaking her head. "God, trust you to freak out over people thinking you're straight instead of gay. I haven't ruined it. I've just stopped bottom feeders like Lauren Mallory getting in your way tonight. Now, drink your beer and go talk to him. He hasn't looked away from here since Lauren slinked over and threw herself at you."

He hasn't? Why is he looking over here? Is my shirt tucked into my underwear? Is my collar not straight- shit! I have to talk to him!

"Edward! Christ, you're nearly hyperventilating. Just pretend he's me, okay? You're only going to get your answer by talking to him, and to do that you have to be able to breathe. Buck up, Cullen, you've got this!"

Edward took a deep breath and sent Bella a weak smile, taking a gulp of his beer and then setting it down. "Right. I've got this."

"Go get 'em, tiger," Bella grinned, turning him around and pushing him forward. Edward frowned back at her, but all she did was lean against the picnic table and wave her fingers in a 'go on' gesture before reaching for another beer. Edward sighed and turned back to his destination, flushing and quickly looking away when he found his progress being watched.

Emmett was talking, but Jasper wasn't paying any attention. The redhead swallowed and tugged down his sweater, feeling as if he needed to pull his collar out in much the same way a cartoon character did when they were anxious and fretting. His mind spun, turning over endlessly and narrating his journey.

That fire's really hot. Is it too hot? Are they keeping it under control? Am I supposed to be sweating this much? Holy hell, what if I have visible sweat marks? I can't talk to him with visible sweat marks! He'll be repulsed! Hold on, what if he's repulsed anyway? What if he's planning his escape with Emmett right now? What if he's-

"Hey look, the fag's here!"

Edward stopped dead, his spine going ramrod straight as his gaze shifted, moving of its own accord to light eyebrows pulled down over frowning eyes. His stomach twisted and with a sigh of resignation, he turned to face the only person he'd ever come close to hating.

"Jacob," he acknowledged in a guarded tone, gaze sharp as he watched the Quileute boy stagger his way towards him. Jacob Black seemed to have lost his shirt at some point during the evening, and the wind had caused goosebumps to erupt on his exposed skin. Edward inwardly shook his head. He hoped the boy didn't catch a cold. "I'd prefer it if you kept the language clean."

"Oh, you'd prefer it, would you? Tough luck, asshole, you can't always get what you want," Jacob slurred, weaving across the sand and coming to a stop in front of the redhead. He swung his hands out and the alcohol in his cup spilled over the side and down his wrist. "What are you doing here, Cullen? I thought we'd gotten rid of you for good."

"Gotten rid of me? I live here, Jacob."

"Not here you don't. Not at La Push, thank fuck for that. At least we don't have queers tainting our stock like Forks does."

Stock? "That isn't a very nice way to refer to your tribe, Jacob. It's rather disrespectful, don't you think?"

The crowd tittered and Jacob's face darkened, the cup dropping to the sand. "You arrogant shithead! What right do you have to judge me? Why don't you just fuck off back where you came from and leave as normal people alone!"

"Oi, douch, what's your problem?" Bella snapped as she strode up and stopped at Edward's side, Jacob's friends appearing and trying to drag him away at the same time. The Quileute shrugged them off and squinted at the furious brunette, a slow smirk spreading across his face.

"I don't have a problem, sweetheart. Just calling 'em as I see 'em. You shouldn't stand so close to him, you know. Never know what you'll catch. You wait here while I get rid of the queer and then you and I can go have some fun, hmm?"

Anger was a funny thing. Edward had never experienced the physically impossible phenomenon of 'seeing red' before, but as Jacob licked his lips and rubbed his hand over his crotch in a grotesque display, the normally oblivious and somewhat placid man suddenly found himself in the younger boy's face without remembering how he gotten there. He glowered at the kid, instinctively following the surprised step that Jacob took backwards.

"You do not talk about her that way. Ever, understand?"

"What, think you can take me, cunt?" Jacob sneered, quickly recovering. "You? You'd blow over in a stiff breeze!"

What a strange thing to say. There's a stiff breeze now, isn't there? I'm obviously still standing.

"I won't put up with acting so derogatorily towards my friend. You can insult me all you want; I'm used to it, but leave Bella alone. She doesn't deserve your rude comments."

Jacob laughed. He threw back his head and laughed, the sound somehow sounding cruel rather than an expression of joy. Edward frowned and cocked his head.

"Look everyone, the fag's standing up for himself! He's actually grown some balls!"

Edward's frown deepened, confusion shifting through him. "That comment doesn't make any sense. I've always had testicles."

Other, louder laughter swept around the beach while Jacob's abruptly cut off, his face going a motley red. He snarled angrily.

"Fucking idiot. Teach you to get smart with me!"

He stepped back and raised his arm, hand clenched into a fist. Edward's eyes went wide, but before he could figure out how to defend himself, or even before the fist made contact, someone grabbed the back of his sweater and jerked him away from the punch. He stumbled backwards and halted when his back met a firm chest. He blinked in surprise and turned his head, seeking the identity of the person who'd rescued him.

Heat flared low in his abdomen when he met an amused dark gaze.

"When exactly did you turn into a brawler?"

Edward gulped. "I'm n-not," he started to say, silently cursing the way his voice squeaked, when a disturbance at his feet caught his attention. Jacob was sprawled on the ground, face planted in the sand. The redhead stared down at him, quickly figuring that the momentum of his swing combined with too much alcohol must have led to his downfall.

He couldn't help the small smirk that formed at the thought.

"Jeez, Edward, what's got into you? You could've seriously been hurt!" Bella scolded as Jacob's friends rushed forward, hauled him up and away. Edward looked over and met her gaze with steady eyes.

"He was being insulting to you. He's not allowed to do that."

Bella's expression softened, and behind him, Jasper shifted, abruptly reminding Edward that he was still standing close to the other man. Very close. Back to chest, leaning against him close.

He could feel Jasper's heartbeat.

Eyes going wide again, he sought out Bella's gaze as his own heart rate jumped and panic began to set in. Bella grinned at him and then winked.

"Right, Mike Tyson, I think you should go take a walk and cool yourself down a bit. You wanna go with him, oh great and mighty saviour? Make sure he doesn't get into any more trouble?"

"I could do that," Jasper agreed, his voice rumbling in his chest and vibrating against Edward's back. The other man's breath hitched at the feeling, his jeans tightening a little. The relief was just as sharp as the disappointment when Jasper stepped back and began to make his way through the crowd, stopping when he realized Edward wasn't following.

"What are you waiting for? Go!" Bella hissed, shoving her friend for the second time that night and breaking his stunned paralysis. Edward audibly swallowed and turned on very shaky legs, catching up with the blond, confusion, eagerness and lust making his head spin.

He chose to focus on the confusion.

"You know my name's not Mike Tyson, right?"

Jasper snorted loudly at the abrupt question, dark eyes dancing, before continuing down the beach with a frowning and bewildered Edward scurrying after him.