Happy Valentines

Ok this is my Sake fic for Iluvcarby101's challenge. It's also my first Phantom Stallion fic. Its set about three years after 'Run Away Home' so Sam is 17 and Jake is 21.

Any feedback is welcome, flames included. Please review!

Cem

"I can't wait for tonight!" Jen said excitedly to Sam as they walked from the bus stop towards Jen's ranch.

"Uh huh" Sam muttered trying not to let her best friend see her irritation. It was Friday the 14th of February and tonight was the schools Valentines dance. It was all most people had been talking about for the past month and Sam had had enough of it. She hadn't thought Jen would be in to it much but she's been wrong. Very wrong.

Jen however didn't notice Sam's lack of enthusiasm and carried on describing the dress she planned to wear. As they reached the gates to Harmony Ranch Jen peeled off with a hurried goodbye and a promise to call her first thing tomorrow with all the details.

"Great" Sam muttered under her breath as she carried on towards home. "I've had to listen to her rave about going to the stupid dance with Ryan Slocum for weeks, and now I'm gonna have to listen to all the details instantly too!" Sam kicked the dirt with a strangled cry of frustration.

Since Jen and Ryan had started dating about 6 months ago, it was like Jen was a different person. Sam was constantly meeting up with Jen only to discover that she'd invited Ryan along too. There was a limit to how much more of Ryan and Jen talking about him Sam could handle and that limit was very rapidly approaching.

"Hey, Brat" a familiar voice spoke startling Sam making her jump. She turned to where the voice had come and found herself face to face with her best friend, the guy she wanted so much more with, Jake Ely. She'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't even heard his truck come along the road from behind her.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!" She said angrily her face heated.

"I snuck up on you?" He said with a lopsided smile "I'm in a truck"

"So?" She glared at him and saw a frown flicker across his face. She hadn't seen him since Christmas and she was going to pick a fight with him because she was mad at Jen? Yeah that makes sense! She mentally berated herself.

"What are you doing home anyway?" She asked trying to change the subject.

"Week off next week. No lessons today, figured I'd come home." He stated.

"Oh" Sam shivered as a cold wind blew and she wrapped her thick coat tighter around her.

"Jump in." Jake said seeing her shiver. She gave him a tired smile of thanks and went to the other side of the pick up and hopped in.

Silence filled the truck the rest of the way back to Riverbend Ranch and for once it wasn't completely comfortable. Sam knew it was her fault and that she should apologize but she just couldn't do it. She just stared out at the Calico Mountains instead.

When they arrived Sam muttered her thanks and headed inside to change so she could take Tempest, her now 3 and a half year old horse, for a ride. She figured Jake would drop her off and leave but as she left the kitchen she realised his truck was still there. She didn't see him so she just shrugged and headed for the barn to get Tempest's tack.

Later that night, after dinner, Sam was sat on the rocks by the La Charla River thinking about Jake. She really missed him while he was away at college and because she rarely saw him now, she didn't like it when they fought. But apologizing meant telling him about Jen and Ryan and why it bothered her so much to see her friend with her boyfriend so much. Which meant admitting she was a little jealous because there was someone she liked too. Someone she wanted to spend her Valentines with.

The problem with that was that she wasn't at all sure how Jake felt about her. They'd held hands two or three times since the first time he'd taken her hand three years ago but nothing more. Most of the time Sam was sure that he only saw her as his friend, but then he'd do something, take her hand, a touch or look at her a certain way, that made her heart race and her breath catch. But those moments didn't last a long, a few seconds and they were over. Sam sighed with frustration watching the river flow past.

This time she heard him come but she didn't turn around till he spoke.

"Cold?" Jake asked quietly.

"I'm fine" she replied although she was a little. She'd been sat there a while and the cold was slowly eating its way through her thick winter coat. She wouldn't admit it to him.

Even in the dark Sam could make out Jakes mustang eyes watching her closely. She patted the ground beside her, asking with her eyes if he was going to stay or go. He sat beside her close but not touching. Too close given Sam though he was mad at her for earlier.

"'Bout earlier" Jake started rubbing the back of his neck as he always did when he was embarrassed or uncomfortable.

"Forget it." Sam interrupted turning back to the river, "I was mad about something else. I shouldn't have taken it out on you. Sorry"

"Ok. Forgotten" Jake said but he continued to stare at her. Her hair had grown out, past her shoulders and she had it loose under her hat. He liked the way it fell in soft waves down her back. He'd thought she was crazy when she'd cut it really short and then a year later he'd done the same thing to his and she'd thought the same of him.

When Sam looked at him questioningly he realised he was staring and mentally kicked himself but he couldn't make himself turn away.

"What?" Sam asked.

Jake watched her for a few more seconds warring with himself inside. Slowly he leaned in and Sam's breath caught. "Jake?" She asked softly. But Jake stayed silent. He kissed her softly but quickly pulled away.

"Sorry." He muttered looking at the ground.

Even in the dark Sam could see his skin darken as he blushed. She couldn't quite believe it. Jake had kissed her. After three years he had finally kissed her. And now he was apologizing?

"Why?" She asked him quietly, afraid of the answer but trying not to let her hurt show. She apparently didn't do a good job though because Jake looked at her with surprise and confusion.

"That…that was ok?" He asked trying to squash the hope building in him in case he was wrong.

"Yeah" Sam said feeling more confused but a little less hurt.

"You want…uh…I…" Jake wasn't much for talking and when it came to feelings he really hated to talk about them. But he knew that if he didn't do this right he'd lose any chance with Sam however small it was to begin with. "You want more than what we have?" He asked his voice carefully neutral then kicked himself for how he'd put it.

Then Sam smiled and she saw his jaw tighten, worried about what she was going to say. "Jake Ely you might well be the single most infuriating person on the planet!" She said as she stood up. She kept her eyes on his though and put her hands on her hips daring him to make a move.

Jake caught the dare in her voice and stood up as well so he was looking down at her. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at her. They'd played this game for years and she almost always broke first. Sure enough she did.

"I've wanted more since you took my hand at the bonfire a few days after the avalanche three years ago!" She said trying to look stern.

Jake tried to keep his face straight, to not show how much he'd wanted to hear her say that. He removed his hands from his pockets and gently cupped her face in them, knocking her Stetson back so it lay against her back by its strings. His heartbeat quickened as he did and he watched with pleasure as Sam's eyes lit up with the same excited, anticipation he was feeling.

His lips brushed hers gently, almost hesitantly, like he still wasn't certain this was what she wanted. Sam leant up in to the kiss slipping her hands hesitantly around his neck. Jake took that as permission and slipped one hand to the back of her neck and in to her hair and the other around to rest on the small of her back, holding her close.

After a few moments Jake reluctantly pulled away and Sam leaned in to him trying to stop him. He looked down at her, his mustang eyes sparkling as his lazy, tomcat smile spread across his features. Sam returned the smile her lips still tingling and her heart racing as stared deep in to those eyes she loved so much.

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and she looked over Jakes shoulder searched the mountainside to see the Phantom. She saw him stood on an out crop of rock quite far away, his silver coat shining in the moonlight.

Jake turned, taking his arms off of Sam to see what she was looking at and shook his head. Sam lightly punched his arm and pretended to frown at him but he just gave her his tomcat smile again and moved behind her. He wrapped his arms around her stomach and she sighed happily as she leaned back in to his embrace watching her horse. After a few moments the stallion turned and vanished amongst the trees and rocks.

Jake and Sam stood still listening to the flow of the river. Jake didn't need to see her face to know she was smiling. It may have taken him more than three years to finally have the courage to kiss his best friend, but he didn't regret it. Jake wasn't in to hugs but he had to admit that holding Sam like he was now, felt really good. He liked the way she fit in his arms. He liked the way this felt so natural to him, and judging by her relaxed posture, it felt natural to her too. Jake smiled and said softly,

"Happy Valentines day, Sam"