Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any related characters. This was written out of enjoyment of the series, and no profit is being made.

Ships: (Romance/Friendship) Jacob/Bella.
Warnings: Very vague spoilers for Twilight.
Notes: Prompt - "Red Riding Hood".

Who's Afraid?

She was out shopping at the mall. Just a quick check into the department store for a possible birthday gift for Charlie. After buying a card and some wrapping paper she had ended up in the clothing department, wandering idly through the hoodies and jeans.

Then she spotted Jacob Black, across the tiled path that separated the men from the women. She stood behind her rack of black halters and bounced on her heels, grinning mischievously for no apparent reason.

Eventually he noticed the girl grinning like some maniac at him from across the way. He furrowed his eye-brows and smiled, a silent, "What are you doing? Is my fly undone?"

She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Maybe it was the fact that Jacob was younger than her, but just seeing him made her feel like doing all the things on that stupid 'Things to do at Walmart when You're Bored' e-mail she got last week from Jessica.

Well...they were in Walmart.

He seems to catch her drift and signals her with his eyes, telling her to follow her towards the shoe department.

They play some odd sort of mix between 'Marco Polo' and 'Hide-and-Seek'. The rules seem to be not to get caught by one another, while following Jacob's lead. She only knows what way to go from the notes of the Pink Panther theme that he hums. Sometimes it comes from a couple aisles over admist the DVDs, sometimes from just behind her own shelf of stiletto heels.

Eventually she's in the camping department. And the Pink Panther is no where to be heard.

"Jacob...!" she calls. "Jake!"

Something pounces on her and terrible flashes of collisions into glass come back at her and she nearly screams into a warm hand.

"Bella, calm down!" he whispers. He takes his hand away and smiles down on her (he's growing), half-apologetic, half amused. "I didn't scare you, did I," he pulls up her hood and lets it rest over her eyes, "Little Red Riding Hood?"

She laughs to disguise her gasps for air and pushes the faded crimson fabric back so she can see him. "Hey, I've gone off the forest path to pick wildflowers for my grandma loads of times." She nudges him in the side and smiles. "I'm not afraid of the Big Bad Wolf."

AN. Seeing as I haven't read Eclipse yet, I think I'm still on the fence when it comes to Edward/Bella/Jacob (and then there's my growing affection for Bella/Jasper...). But a friend of mine prompted me and voila! First venture into this fandom.

Concrit is very welcome!