Appreciation

Seth Clearwater Series

In the past three months that we had been dating, I had often questioned if there was anything wrong with Seth Clearwater; Where were his faults? He was like some kind of Disney Prince Charming: handsome, kind, understanding, loyal, patient, funny - you name it. There hadn't been a single moment between us that I wished I could take back (well, maybe my reaction to the Quileute tribe's secret, but even that only brought us closer together in the end).

I mean, maybe his pack was a little insane, but it wasn't a direct reflection of Seth himself. It wasn't his fault that they could all hear his thoughts when they were in their wolf forms and were immature enough to tease me about it at every possible moment. No, the jerks that were his 'brothers' couldn't be held against him. And he was always so nice about apologizing for thinking about me so much...

Maybe too nice. Yes, that was it - Seth was too nice. Especially at a time like this; my time of the month, if you catch my drift.

"Seth," I growled, taking on his own canine characteristics when there wasn't an ounce of Quileute blood in my body. The teen-wolf flinched, knowing what was coming. "Stop fawning like that! God, your like a dog or something!"

Oh, the irony. With no pun truly intended, his relation to a dog was no laughing matter. Even when he wasn't in that furry form, he could still be compared to one: a needy animal that was always stepping on your toes trying to be as close as possible, sticking their nose into everything that you do and taking it as their duty to scare even the mailman away if they got within ten feet of you. Sometimes it was endearing how protective he was over me, but other times I just wanted to lock him in a kennel.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered, genuine contrite obvious. I was too irritated to take much notice, however.

"Could you just back off a little, please? Do you have any idea how annoying it is that you're always right there at every second?"

"Right. Sorry!"

He nearly fell over in his hurry to give me more space. The act made me snarl. If him acting like a body guard didn't anger me enough, it was the way he took my words as law that send me over the edge. Just because I was his imprint didn't mean he had to worship the ground I walked on! Would it really kill him to stand up for himself every once in a while? If I wanted another pet in my life, I would buy a hamster.

I settled for rolling my eyes and continuing down the dirt road towards the reservation. I knew it wasn't really fair to be such a (for lack of a better word that didn't sound so intentionally used) bitch to Seth - this was only my hormones speaking. But the feelings were real, chemically influenced of not, and any reactions I took to his doting personality would have real effects on each of our lives. It was better just to bite my tongue and take all of this in stride as we trudged towards the Clearwater's home in silence.

It came as a relief when the humble abode finally came into sight. I could have ran towards the house and left Seth in the dust, but Sue saved me the trouble and appeared from the back garden.

"Shiloh, Seth!" she called, waving cheerily. I actually smiled at the sight - maybe it was her pleasant nature itself or just the fact that she was a woman, but I was honestly happy to see her. "You two are home from school already?"

I nodded, not even bothering to let Seth respond to his mother at all before I greeted her first. I think I shocked both her and her son when I wrapped the older woman in a sound hug. She returned the gesture, albeit a little awkwardly, before shooing Seth away. It was as she knew exactly what was going through my mind at that moment - a female's instinct.

"Seth dear, why don't you go get some snacks ready for the both of you? I just went grocery shopping today - there should be plenty."

"But...mom...."

I could hear how hesitant her was to leave, easily imagining the way he was shuffling his feet and shifting his gaze back and forth between us skeptically. Damn it, he didn't even trust me to be alone with his mother! I stiffened, feeling raging tears filling my eyes. I honestly didn't know if I could handle this - he was just too much sometimes.

"Let me talk to Shiloh for a while," Sue said, her tone underlined with a warning. "It's a girl thing, sweetie. Don't worry, she'll be fine."

It took another minute of subliminal convincing between the two, but Seth finally managed to pull away from the scene and drag himself into the house. Sue was quick to break the embrace, sending me a sympathetic stare and wiping the few tears from under my eyes.

"Don't be too hard on him," she admonished, the crows feet on the corners of her eyes emphasized as she smiled encouragingly. "He's a man after all - he doesn't understand the kinds of things we go through. He can try all he wants, but we both know that his pestering only gets in the way."

I snorted on a laugh, grinning guiltily. I couldn't believe I had actually cried over something so stupid. "Yeah, that's true. I guess I'm just too overly-emotional right now..."

Sue rubbed my shoulders, eyes sparkling with a youthful care only she could pull off. "Understandable. But remember - Seth lives with Leah. If he can put up with her mood swings and not run away, you shouldn't have to worry about anything too serious."

I made my way into the house a few minutes later, calmed by Sue's soothing and ready face my boyfriend again without any hard feelings. Ms. Clearwater had heightened my mood and convinced me to give Seth a break.

'You should head back in before he can't control himself anymore and comes back out,' she had said with fond amusement. 'I really don't know what you've done to that boy of mine, but I swear he was under some kind of spell the way he's so attached to you!'

In a way, I was both flattered and sickening with the fact that I knew about Seth (and Leah's) werewolf halves when even their mother had no idea. But in any case, it wasn't really any of my business - that was between the siblings whether or not they wanted to tell her. I had enough of my plate just taking care of Seth and dealing with his duties to the pack. [1]

Seth was in the kitchen, just where I had imagined he would be. His back was facing the entrance, but from what I could see he was making nachos or something, judging by the ingredients scattered across the counter. I smiled, just standing back to watch him for a moment. He was so cute.

Eventually he noticed my stare and looked over his shoulder curiously. The way his eyes instantly shined with renewed vigor at the mere sight of me still caused my cheeks to flare.

"Shiloh! You're finally back! Good - I was getting worried there for a minute. Now, I was going to just get some chips for us, but I didn't know what flavor you were in the mood for. Then I thought about if you would want dip or not, so I thought maybe I could just pour a few different options out. Then I was sort of got a craving for nachos, but I wasn't sure if you'd want them so a made a bowl of pretty much everything we had and thought you could just pick out whichever you... decide... Shiloh? Shy, are you okay?"

I was suddenly filled with the urge to wring his cute little neck. Why did he have to be so annoyingly accommodating? It was like he was desperate for my approval - still! He didn't have to try so hard - he already had me and I wasn't going anywhere! What the hell could he be thinking in going out of his way to be such a suck-up? Did he think I enjoyed being catered to? Was I supposed to appreciate his overzealous efforts?

"Seth," I grit out, fighting with my inner emotions to keep from outright screaming. If Seth had been in in his four-legged body, his tail would have been pinned between his legs - he knew what a horrible temper I could develop when I was angry. It nearly rivaled Paul's to some extend, the only difference being that it only occurred for a few days every month. "What were you thinking? Not only did you make a mess, but do you know how much food you just wasted?!"

He blinked, face screwed up in confusion. Normally, I would have thought the expression was adorable. In the current mindset, however, it was infuriating.

"Huh?" he grunted stupidly. "What'ya mean? I'll eat whatever you don't - you know that. And besides, the only mess we have to clean up is throwing the empty bags away."

I rolled my eyes at his naivety. "And what about the dishes?" I questioned flippantly. "Let me guess, you were just going to leave them in the sink and have your mother do them, right?"

"Well...I hadn't really thought of that, but I guess so..."

Something snapped in me. "Of course you hadn't thought of that! You're too busy catering to me that you don't even consider anyone else! Don't you realize how much your mom already has to do around here? She's a single woman now, Seth! There's laundry, cleaning, gardening, bills to pay, keeping you and Leah comfortable - couldn't you do a little to help her out every once in a while?! No, of course not - because it's all about me, isn't it? Are you retarded or something?!"

Seth was visually shocked at my outburst. It was a very rare occasion where I would raise my voice and ramble in such a way. Gradually, his face lifted into some kind of sheepish grin while he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Gee, I thought girls liked it when they're boyfriends were attentive..."

Oh, that was the wrong thing to say, buddy.

"Seth Clearwater," I growled, volume dangerously low. "You are a jerk."

And with those final words I turned on my heal and stormed out of the house. Or attempted to, at least, until the freakishly buff boy caught up with me in three steps and held my elbow captive in his sturdy fingers.

"Shy, wait up! You know I didn't mean it like that - I was just kidding around to try and lighten things up..."

I whirled around, glaring up into those innocent brownie-colored orbs (the distance between my eyes and his was half a foot, but I managed a dominating effect relatively well all the same) and slapped his grip away forcefully. If I had been any other human, the physically assault would have broken my knuckles. It seemed that even Seth's supernatural strength automatically softened at my touch. Sure, it still hurt, but there was no lasting damage.

Mustering up my best scowlish pout, I put my hands to my hips like I had seen mothers do on television on many occasions. The reaction was instant: just like a scolded school boy Seth, in his six-foot-bulging-muscled-masculine glory, turned red in shame and hung his head. It was pretty ridiculous, but I was proud to have this power over him.

"This is not the time," I spoke clearly. "...to joke about what an ass you are for spoiling me."

He tried to hold it back, he really did; I could tell. But the smirk eventual won out and slithered up one corner of his lips.

I narrowed my eyes, crossing my arms indigently. "What's so funny? You're not taking me seriously, are you?"

He allowed his gaze to climb up until it reached mine. The unadulterated humor sparkling behind his corneas began to loosen my mood instantly.

"C'mon, Shy," he muttered with an air of innocence, pushing his palm into the pockets of his jeans and rocking back and forth on his heels. I was reminded of Oliver Twist asking for more gruel. My heart softened, anger melting away like butter. "Admit it, this whole thing is a little silly..."

I raised a brow. Silly? Even when my attitude was equalizing to a state of internal homeostasis, I couldn't help but to keep the charade going a little longer; I wanted to see where he would go with this.

"I mean," he hurried to elaborate, reading into the look on my face. "It's just that we're fighting over something really stupid, you know? Out of everything that could get you upset, it's that I look out for you too much..."

"Yeah," I shot back, falsely irate. "Too much."

"But it's coming from a good place - I care about you more than anything else in the world!"

"You shouldn't."

"You're my imprint - my soul mate. How am I supposed to let you be unhappy when it hurts me to see you not smiling?"

Damn, that was sappy. It was like listening to some teenage love story filled to he brim with cliché lines of eternal devotion. But still, that boy was a real sweetheart when he wanted to be. I couldn't help but fall even more in love with him in that moment...

"I hate you right now."

...But he didn't have to know that.

"What!" Seth gasped, traumatized. I guess getting told that you're hated by your 'soul mate' could do that to a person. "H-how can you say that? You can't be serious - "

"So now on top of being my own personal secret service, you can dictate what I am and am not?"

"No! I just mean... I was wrong to be so protective - "

"Yeah, you were wrong."

"But I meant well! Shy, Shiloh, what was I supposed to do? Come on, I don't get it! Please tell me! Did you want me to wait until you got in to ask what you wanted to eat? I'm sorry I just jumped into a decision like that by myself - "

I smacked his shoulder to shut him up. "This isn't about the food, you swine!"

Seth blinked, dubious. "Huh? So you don't care that I used up pretty much every grocery my mom bought - "

"Yes, I do."

"But you just said - "

"I know. And you're wrong."

"What?! About what?"

"Everything."

His brows dipped in desperation, a hand coming up to combs through his hair. "Ergh, Shy, what does that mean?! I don't understand anything you're saying! Nothing is making sense to me right now…"

It was in that moment when I couldn't hold my straight, stern face anymore. A smile broke out, growing steadily with the more anxiety Seth began to display.

"It means," I started off slowly, tone calmed to the tone of a teacher. Seth watched me like a hawk, mouth hanging dumbfounded. "That you are always wrong, and I am always right. If you want things to work out peacefully between us, you have to always remember that."

"…"

I waited, the feeling of hilarity building up the longer Seth gawked like an idiot.

"…What?"

The laugh finally broke out at the expression of bewilderment on Seth's face. I shook my head, walking up to the young man and patting him lightly on the elbow.

"Come on," I offered, now totally calm and chipper. "Let's go clean up the mess you made so you're mom can start dinner."

I continued into the next room without waiting for his response, a little surprised when he didn't immediately follow. My first hunch that he was too disoriented at the present time to move was more or less confirmed when I caught the traces of words being whispered under his breath. Curious, I waited just inside of the kitchen entrance to listen in on what he was muttering.

"This is crazy," he hissed lightly. "Was she serious? She wants a lap dog?"

I snickered at the wording. The day was full of lame puns.

Seth exhaled deeply from the hall, revolving on his heel and stalking into the kitchen at a snail's pace. "That girl's crazy…"

A smirk slither up onto my lips. That boy was a bit of a pansy…

"…but I guess it's just one of her faults…"

But I guess it was just one of his faults. It was in no competition when I compared it to his good traits: the handsome, kind, understanding, loyal, patient, funny - you name it characteristics that made me fall for him in the first place.

I could appreciate the less admirable attributes when I considered that Seth wouldn't be my Seth without them.

(A/N) Just to make things clear, there will be no sense of a real time line in this series - I'll be skipping around all over the place the entire time depending on what the theme is. Also, I haven't read past Eclipse, so as far as I'm concerned anything that happened in Breaking Dawn doesn't exist. I prefer things that way, and hopefully you guys won't mind too much xD

[1] For some reason I had it in my mind that Sue didn't know about Seth and Leah being werewolves, but when I asked a friend she said that Sue didn't in New Moon but was told later on by Billy because of the demands of the pack. Either way, I was too lazy to take that line out. As I mentioned, there is no real sense of a time line in this series so I don't find the question of Sue knowing particularly relevant. If it comes up again at any other point, she'll know or not know only depending on which fits in better with the plot I'm doing at that time. Sorry if this is an inconvenience :[