The most fundamental thing about a person is desire. It defines them. Tell me what a person wants, truly wants, and I'll tell you who they are, and how to persuade them.

It's the weekend now, the day after my final game- -which we won 41 to 13, and it felt surprisingly normal, way too anti-climatic compared to what I'm used to final games feeling like- -and while I'm resting from what I think might be a sprained ankle, which I haven't told Jasper about, the giant still kept up his workout routine.

And of course, me being his super gay boyfriend, I decided to watch.

We picked up Vivianna and Ahmik, who's face-planted into the table, on the way.

The park is right next to the gym, so that's where we're at.

"Hey J," Vivianna says. "Y'know what's poppin? How hot you look right now."

With a defeated grunt, the giant just willingly falls onto his back in the grass, fingers raised to flip off his best friend -which is better for me because that way he doesn't see my face when I think, well...she's not wrong.

"Hey Jazz!" A few excited voices call out, making both me and the musician look to where it's coming from. A group of people wave at him, waiting until he waves back before going on their way.

Ew.

People.

I can only sigh as I see the dorky look Jasper's sporting, flopped back in the grass. "We're such different people that it's disturbing."

"I'm sure you guys aren't that different." The weirdo giggles out, spinning to a stop in front of me where she pats me on the head.

Scoffing, I cross my arms. "He has friends."

The only person I have is Fly.

And I'm not sure I should count him, even if that fucking idiot thinks we have 'the bromance of the century.'

"Not that many." Vivianna says, her once-smile turning into a frown as I shake my head at her, knowing that at lunch, he eats with a group of people, a big group, which is one of the reasons why on the days I have lunch off, I just wait outside my next class. "Wait, how many friends do you have, J?"

Now holding a plank, Jasper tilts his head up at us. "Uh...what kind of friend? Like, I only talk to you in class friend, I hang out with you sometimes, or like an almost best friend but not quite? Oh, or the ones outside of University, too?"

I'm pretty sure him asking this is answer enough.

"Um, only at University?"

"I don't know, not that many," The musician continues to do push ups oblivious of the way I'm appreciating the sight of him right now. "Maybe only like, thirty-ish?"

Thirty?

I don't even know that many people.

"Thi-Thirty!" Vivianna's shriek echoes my own thoughts. "What do you mean thirty?"

Motioning to Jasper, the weirdo catches on that it means 'I told you so' even if we're still sharing confused, I-didn't-know-either looks.

"Like, three-zero?" My boyfriend answers obliviously. "I only have like five in every class, and sit with a lot of them at lunch. Y-you've, um, you've seen me with a big group of them?"

A group that even when I look at it, makes me feel suffocated.

"I thought that was like, you moving with your class to a different building!" She gasps out, making Ahmik groan before readjusting. ""Wait, answer me this... Do you know everyone in your classes?"

I don't even know everyone on my football team.

But that really doesn't mean much.

"Of course," Jasper chuckles like the thought of anything else would be weird. "How else am I going to find new friends?"

Don't ask me, I found one friend in fifth grade and nothing has changed.

And I just fucking realized Fly considers us friends off the field.

Which, given my social ineptitude, was expected of me but no less stupid.

"Oh god, I'm friends with the literal human embodiment of sunshine."

"Er..." He pauses to blink up at us, clearly confused. "No?"

Turning to Vivianna like he hadn't said anything I shake my head at her, pretending to want sympathy. "At least you're just friends with him, I'm dating him. Every morning I get blinded by his happiness. And I get it, getting up every morning and seeing himself in the mirror, it must be a good thing, but fuck, he needs to learn how to hate things more."

"Damn straight!" Vivianna snaps her hand sassily. "Then he'd be mean as he looks."

Straight away, I catch Jasper's pout and stand up only to sit next to him again as he gives up and lays on the grass again.

He mumbles "I look mean?" while sounding a bit too sad.

"C'mon Jitterbug," I laugh. "You can't honestly believe that. We just-" My head jerks to the side, cutting me off. "We just called you the literal human embodiment of sunshine and you think we think you look scary? What she meant to say was that you're really hot and with your piercings and tattoos- -bit hot innit- -everyone can tell that. Which is the only intimidating thing around you."

Turning his head, Jasper continues to pout at me. "Is that why people don't like you?"

"No, Love," I kiss his cheek, putting my coffee down to cup his face. "They don't like me because I'm an asshole."

Jasper flushes, hiding his face. "Star! I need motivation, not kisses!"

I just shrug, smirking.

Could have fooled me.

"Ha, Motivation!"

Without another word, Vivianna bounces over to him and climbs on his back, sitting cross legged before bopping him on the of the head with the bottom of her drink.

"Start moving until you throw up, you weak willed sot-"

"Vivianna," I snap, sitting up straighter to glare at her. "That's not what he -mph!"

Not giving either of us a warning, Jasper prompts himself up and rolls over- -knocking his best friend off of him- -to grab me around the middle before moving again to pin me under him, grinning.

Raising an eyebrow, I glance at his arms that are on either side of my head. "What's this?"

I'm supposed to be the top, aren't I?

Smiling, bending in a push up, Jasper answers "Motivation." before pecking my cheek.

Laughing, I fist my hands in my- -his- -sweatshirt and accept every kiss he gives me, whether it's on my cheek or lips.

Then the dork is collapsing onto me, a wide grin on his face as he cuddles his face into my shoulder. "I'm going somewhere for Christmas." He tells me.

"Oh?" I run my hand through the back of his hair, grateful I'm used to being around guys after they've worked out. "Are you excited for it?"

I just go home or visit Adonis, or stay with Selene, during Christmas.

My family is pretty spread out, we basically just send people gifts whenever we see them and send each other cards but there's so many of us that all have different kinds of jobs, some that can't be taken off, so Christmas has never been a big deal.

He nods, "Pretty much anyone important to me is going to be there and I'd like you to meet them?"

"O-oh, I um, yeah? I didn't know -you actually want me to meet your family?" Me meeting his siblings was a surprise and meeting his parents was definitely an accident. Plus we really didn't see anyone at the castle. "Are they- -bit hot innit- -going to be at your house, er, castle? When, or, where am I meeting them?"

"Ah, I didn't explain that right," The musician sits up, body still close to mine and resting between my legs as he sits next to me. "I know you don't like to be around too many people, but I want you to come with me. And you won't be around them all the time! We do activities in changing groups and, um-"

"What he means," Vivianna interrupts. "Is that everyone has their own cabin, it's basically this small town but on an island and with our families and the Riddles, and only one other Astoria family. So like, pretty much the plane ride is going to be the most crowded you're gonna get besides like, the flippity floppity freaking introductions that'll probably give you an aneurysm. But it's also a private plane-jet thingy so it's spacious."

I'm meeting all of his family.

In their small town.

On an island they own.

After having a plane ride.

On their private jet.

Trying to comprehend this I space out, nose wrinkled and lamely, all I can say is, "I've never been on a plane before." while ticing a few times.

Vivianna laughs, patting me on the head before. "This will be fun for you then."

"Wait but, won't I like...get in the way?" Asking this, I look straight at Jasper but he pouts at me, making me try to fix it. "What did I- -in Eden- -say? I'm okay going, I want to meet your family but it's the holidays and people usually don't like it when others intrude and-" I growl. "-the last thing I want to do is annoy your family. I want them to like me, ya' know."

Jasper huffs, "Papa likes you, which means it's probably physically impossible for anyone to hate you."

Atlas, for unknown reasons.

Pax, for throwing his mac' n cheese and gradually grew to completely hate me.

My 'grandparents' for existing.

Papa's brother- -who became a police officer- -for hating him.

My last football team, for being gay. My current football team, for being gay.

Old bullies of mine -Clark, Mason, Vance, Astor, Bailey.

Myself.

"Jasper..." Having gone through that list, I shake my head. "Plenty of people hate me, it's- -mother ducklings- -entirely possible."

"Not for this! You'll be welcomed with open arms, scout's honor."

Vivianna snorts, "More like 'puppy' honor."

He pouts. Grabbing onto his jaw, I squish his cheeks and kiss his pouting lips. "I'll go, if you call your parents and make sure it's actually okay."

The musician grins sheepishly, "My mama told me to bring you, and Papa said if I don't it means you're 'a fucking coward.' Which is, is his way of saying he wants you there!"

I scoff, "Convincing." Pausing, I give him a thoughtful look. "Can I actually talk to your dad?"

Minty eyes widen, "Why?"

"To ask him to go to prom with me," I sarcastically answer. "Nah. But really, can I talk to him? If-"

"No more of this blubbering ignorance, you eggs!" Vivianna throws Jasper's phone at me, a contact that says 'Papa Bear' flashing on the screen. When did she get this? "When he threw me, I called him to snitch. Sorry not sorry. Apparently he wants to talk to you too."

Raising an eyebrow, I hold Jasper's jaw with one hand as he stares at me and answer with the other.

"So..." Bar Red's voice comes out of the phone, and seeing as it's Vivianna, I was really expecting it to be anyone other than him. "Prom, huh?"

"Yeah. It's almost that time of year. Two months away -two, two, two- -I'm wearing black. How about you."

He scoffs, "We're already matching. Turn it down, so they can't hear." Weird, but okay. "Any-fucking-way, you treating him good?"

Smirking, I continue to make eye contact as Jasper- -from this alone- -goes red. "I'd say so."

"Good," Just like his son, he has the same half-gruff tone to his voice when he's talking that tells me he's smiling. "I'm too lazy to threaten you again."

I snort, giving the musician a light squeeze when he pouts at us -realizing he can't hear a thing his dad is saying after I actually turned it down.

"I doubt that, you'd threaten me if you needed to." Just like Papa would threaten Jasper all while Mama bribed him to stay with mango smoothies. "What did you want?"

Bar sighs, "You're coming to Christmas." Unless I'm missing something, that wasn't a question. "Jazz told me your family doesn't celebrate it on the day, if at all, so you're coming. This is your first year you're going to be here-"

He says this like it won't be my last too and honestly, that makes me kinda happy.

"-so I'm already having Jazz take you shopping for everyone. You're not allowed to spend any of your own money, you fucking understand that? Listen kid, that's not even what I'm supposed to say."

A female voice I don't doubt is his wife comes muffled over the phone as his own voice gets cut off.

I wait for him to start talking again, giving Jasper a kiss on the forehead since he's still pouting at me, wanting attention since I'm leaving him out.

"Anyway," Bar says. "Do you already know what you're getting my godling?"

Suppressing a smile, I nod to myself. "Yeah. It's um...I'm making it? It's just, with Tourette's, taking longer than normal?"

Not to mention me and Nemesis have to keep mailing it back to each other and Noelle has to sign off on it.

It's a picture Vivianna took of us cuddling on our couch that I sketched out on a three giant canvases- -in case I ruin some because of a hand jerk or it gets damaged in the mail, one has already gone to waste when I punched a hole through it- -that I made a charcoal painting with.

Then Nemesis is painting it green with Noelle telling her how to add in how Jasper told her songs look to the best of their abilities. Not to mention the sunset behind us is pink and purple, which really helps all the green come through.

Personally, I think he'll like it.

And it's the best thing I could think of, since he doesn't really know I can draw anyway and he can pretty much buy anything he wants. The canvases are five and a half feet long and three feet wide and just the fact that Jasper's respectful enough never to check my closet for literally anything is the only reason he hasn't noticed it yet.

Though once he did say I smelled like charcoal and I had to act completely oblivious, which was actually a bit surprising since I had showered so that probably helped convince him.

"You guys being so rich made it hard." I joke, holding the phone to my chest to peck Jasper's cheek as he pouts more, not liking me saying that. "It's not a bad thing, Love."

"-and it's going to be done before Holidays?" Bar's voice cuts back in, so I missed half the sentence but I'm able to hum a yes, so it doesn't matter. "Do you need a ride to the airport or can you get dropped off. It's our private one, near our house."

I think about them arriving at my parent's one story chaotic house and getting pulled into a mango mess mixed with cursing, Atlas hungover- -around the holidays he likes to be with friends- -my snake, Noodles, and me, who probably won't have slept any and wince.

Not to mention Papa's stupid brother loves to cause trouble around this time of year. It's a game to him.

"No, it's fine, I can get a ride." Saying this I make a face, knowing it will probably be Atlas who drives me.

The guy loves car rides and annoying me, so it's the perfect opportunity for him.

Fucking great.

Surprisingly, it's Jasper's mom's voice who echoes through the phone next. "Y-you sure? We don't mind."

Thinking for a second I nod to myself, "Yeah, don't worry about it. Oh, by the way -you're the one that likes oranges the most, right?"

"Yeah?" Sounding a bit confused, she pauses. "Does that h-have to do with the gift?"

"...not really?"

"Oh," Bar's voice comes back. "In that case-"

He hangs up.

I expected it.

Turning back to my boyfriend I cup his face in my hands and smirk, "We're going to have a lot of fun on that island of yours."

He flushes, "What kind?"

"Hmm." I lightly trace over his lips before pressing down on his bottom one, leaning into him. "Whatever kind you want."

Jasper doesn't say anything more, his blush just deepens and it's left at that as Vivianna lets out a wild cackle.

I'm not wrong.

We will have fun.