Title: Good Directions
Author:
avari_maethorSummary: Everyone needs good directions to get where they need to be.
Rating: PG
Warning: AU. Slash. Jasper/Seth (Jaspeth).
Disclaimer: Twilight solely belongs to Stephanie Meyer. This story is based on the song “Good Directions” by the Billy Currington.
Dedication: To
starry_nights88.
Good Directions
Seth sat on the bed of his truck with his back against the cab, a cowboy hat kept the sun out of his eyes but he was still sweating due to his jeans and boots, he was used to that though. Turnips from his mother’s garden sat under the bit of shade he had rigged up with a sheet but they were suffering from the heat as well. Pulling a pork rind from the bag at his side he munched on it slowly.
The sound of a car coming up the road made Seth look up. The sleek black mustang was not from around these parts he knew. As it drove past, he turned and saw that the license plate read Hollywood… yeah, not from around here. Seth watched the brake lights come on. The mustang stopped and back up, parking on the opposite side of the road. Seth rubbed his hands on his jeans before hopping down from the truck bed. He watched as an extremely handsome man got out of the car, designer sun glasses covering his eyes. Seth’s mouth ran dry as the man walked around the mustang and over to his truck… the temperature had just gone up by about ten degrees.
“Pardon.” The voice was rich with just a touch of southern accent, which surprised Seth. That voice sent shivers down Seth’s spine. “I’m lost; I’ve been looking for the interstate for the past hour. Could you give me directions?”
“Directions huh? Yeah I can do that. You picked the right man for the job.” Seth tipped his hat up as he pointed down the road. “Way up yonder past the caution light, there’s a little country store with an old Coke sign. With this heat you gotta stop in and ask Ms. Sue for some of her sweet tea. A left from there will take you to the interstate…” Maybe it was the heat affecting him, maybe it was the pork rinds, whatever it was Seth was feeling bold, so he said, “But a right will bring you right back here to me.”
---
Seth hopped back up onto the bed of the truck, watching the man get back in his car and drive off. Sighing and shaking his head at the stupid pick up line he had tried. He was kicking himself for not asking the man’s name at least. Throwing his hat out into the road he thought, “You fool, that could’ve been love.”
Seth jumped off the truck bed thinking. No… his old Ford couldn’t run him down. The man hadn’t said anything other than “thanks”; he probably didn’t like guys anyhow. Seth picked up his hat, dusting if off as he stood straight, watching the mustang disappear in a cloud of dust.
---
Jasper smirked as he watched the boy in his rear view mirror. He was a gorgeous boy, but then the south always did have some of the best genes. And the flirting! Jasper chuckled as he thought about the boys’ attempt. He wondered if the boy really expected him to return? No, he couldn’t, Jasper was only asking for directions. Nothing more.
Another ten minutes of driving brought him to a four way with a caution light. A small country store with an old Coke sign sat on one corner. The blue sign for the interstate pointed him in the right direction but something stopped him from making that turn.
Jasper pulled up along side the store and got out. A glass of sweet tea did sound good… A bell over the door chimed as he walked in, immediately his mouth started to water, something smelled delicious.
“Well hello handsome.” Jasper looked toward the sound of the voice. A middle aged woman, her graying hair up in a bun, but a happy smile on her face stood at the stove cooking.
Jasper smiled as he removed his sunglasses and placed them in his pocket. “You must be Ms. Sue.”
“Now I wonder who you’ve been talk’n to, being a stranger and all.”
“A boy selling turnips told me I had to stop in here for a glass of sweet tea,” Jasper answered.
Ms. Sue nodded as she started putting food on a plate. “Seth is my son. The youngest of the boys from ‘round these parts. He’s been work’n so hard this year, the rest of the boys went to college and he’s the only one left.”
“He must be very lonely.”
“I know he is, but he’ll never tell you that, no. Just works until he’s to exhausted to think.” Sue motioned Jasper to a small table and once he was seated she set a plate of food down in front of him. “Eat up.”
Jasper watched her move away to get him a glass of tea. His eyes moved to the walls, photographs of various things hung there. Jasper’s eyes traveled over the pictures that held people, he almost missed Seth among a group of other boys. He was smiling.
“He’s beautiful when he smiles…” Jasper thought. A pang of longing shot through him. He wanted to see that smile for himself. He wanted to be the reason for that smile. Sue set a glass of sweet tea in front of him, smiling to herself when she saw Jasper’s eyes on the picture of the boy’s. No doubt his thoughts on Seth.
Sue was good at reading people, she always had been. This stranger was handsome, that she could see. But he had a good soul, he was kind and from the way he spoke… smart. Everything she wanted for Seth.
When Jasper finished the plate Sue had given him, he stood and pulled out his wallet. “Ms. Sue, that was the best meal I’ve ever had. How much do I owe you?”
“I’ll make you a deal,” Sue said.
Jasper raised an eyebrow. “And what would that be?”
Sue set a jug filled with ice and her sweet tea on the counter in front of him. “Make that right out there and take this back to Seth and your meal is on the house.”
Jasper looked into Sue’s eyes. He didn’t understand what he saw there but he smiled. “Yes ma’am.”
---
Seth rubbed his eyes. He had been out in this heat to long. He was starting to see things. He was seeing the mustang that the man drove coming back up the road toward him. Wait…
The mustang stopped beside his truck and Seth watched, his mouth open in shock, as the man got out of the car. This was real! He had come back!
---
Jasper smirked as he got out of his car, watching Seth through his sunglasses. Walking up he set the jug of iced tea on the truck bed and reached out pushing Seth’s jaw up. He pretended to not notice when Seth gasped as he removed his glasses.
“I drove on up this road and found that caution light. I don’t know what is was but something felt right. I stopped at the store and asked Ms. Sue for some of her sweet tea. She fed me and we talked a bit. Then she gave me this jug and sent me right back here to you.”
Jasper met Seth’s brown eyes with his own green ones. He waited for Seth to say something. “Y-you came back…”
Jasper smiled and leaned in pressing a kiss to Seth’s lips lightly. As he pulled back he said, “Thank God for good directions.”