A.N: Thank you to JJ Twi1ight for comments and beta-work, and also thank you for all the reviews :)

Treats

When I woke, I was still dreaming. It was a weird feeling, not being surrounded by fur. Not to have a cold nose nuzzle my cheek. Not to feel the weight of him wrapped over my upper body, which he owned. But Edward wasn't here this morning.

A warm nose pressed softly against my neck. The arm around me did weigh me down. Well, this wasn't so bad either. I opened my eyes, only to find Jacob's closed. He was smiling though.

"It's Saturday," was all he said. His voice was still a little groggy from sleep, but not as if he had just woken up. It sounded like he'd been awake for a while.

I nodded, even if he couldn't see.

"You don't work Saturdays," he continued, when I didn't reply.

I only nodded again. I didn't.

"I don't work Saturdays either," he said.

It was quiet for a long time. When I still didn't reply, Jacob squinted up at me against the bright sunlight. "Right?"

I only smiled. I didn't want to wake up this time. This was a good dream.

I leaned closer, and our lips met. The kiss was not like a kiss between friends, and still, Jacob was still my friend. Only more, much more. It was like the two best things wrapped into one.

I fell asleep again, and didn't wake until noon. The light wasn't so bright, as the sun was hidden behind gray clouds and was no longer trying to poke at my eyelids. Jacob was slumbering beside me, half-asleep. Maybe this wasn't just a dream. Actually, I knew it wasn't. But it was all so nice I couldn't help but wonder.

Jacob turned to me, buried his nose against my neck again. I could almost sense that he was smiling, even if I couldn't see. Who could imagine it would end like this? Oh, it was no secret I had thought about it more than once. Quite frequently, actually. But it had never been quite realistic. He had always lived in the city of Lost Boys, I had always moved around, tried to get closer but always managed to do the opposite. And all of this, all of it because I'd reluctantly agreed to join Jessica and Angela one late night out.

"What if I hadn't gone out that day," I said quietly. Jacob opened his eyes, moving back a little and looking at me. "That night, at that horrible place," I continued, thinking about the stuffed bar with the loud music. "Then I never would have met you again."

If he didn't understand what I meant at first, he quickly caught up.

"I'm not so worried about that," he smiled. "I'd meet you eventually, anyway. If nothing else, you'd probably start dating Quil out of pity, after he'd been stalking you for months, and I'd meet you then."

That made me laugh."Going out with your friend's girl? Nice," I mocked him.

He nestled back against my neck and mumbled something. It sounded something like "I saw you first", and made me feel all red-faced and silly inside.

It was the best of times, it was the best of days. We didn't get up until one in the afternoon, and then only barely got dressed. I didn't read a single book all day. Jacob walked around in sweats, and I walked around in shorts and a t-shirt, even if it had started to rain outside.

I had never been touched this much in my life as far as I could remember. And by touched, I meant simply being in contact with another human being. Somehow, always, he seemed to be in contact with me. We held hands, he held his arm around my waist as I shuffled around the kitchen, he touched my hand absentmindedly as we ate. I had never felt more precious. It still felt like we were somewhere between friendship and that close, intimate feeling of two people who had been together for years. I couldn't quite decide which it was, but it was the best.

We ended up on the couch playing cards. I had stretched out my legs, and Jacob had put them across his lap, and we sat like that. Every now and then he would stroke his hands down my leg, or place his hand on my ankle. It was calm and quiet, with nothing really to do than sit inside, listen to the rain, drink coffee and do nothing. I liked doing nothing. Doing nothing with Jacob was even better. I was just about to win when my phone rang. It was Jessica.

"What do you want?" she asked. She was somewhere noisy – there were people talking in the background.

"What do you mean?" I asked her, putting down my last card and grinning over at Jacob, who frowned.

"What do you want at the store?" Jessica clarified. "We thought we could stop by later, if you don't have any plans. Make something to eat or whatever. Do you you want tacos?"

I assumed 'we' to be Angela.

"Are you coming over?" I wondered, looking over at Jacob. He was dealing out a new set of cards with a determined look, as if willing his cards to be good.

"Are you busy?" Jessica wondered.

"I'm hanging out with Jacob," I told her. She probably knew that already. Jessica had a special radar for these things.

"And what are you two doing?" she asked. I could practically hear her wagging her eyebrows and elbow Angela in the side, if she was even there.

"We're busy not doing much," I said, "but sure, come whenever you want."

Jacob was studying his own cards now, still frowning. I finished speaking with Jessica on the phone, and when I was done, he was waiting.

"Your turn," he said impatiently.

I picked up my cards, and looked through them quickly before I started.

"Jessica and Angela are coming over later," I told him, as he already knew. "Is that okay?"

He shrugged and smiled. "Of course. Your turn."

"Do you have plans?" I asked him.

"Nope," he said, then looked up. "Should I?"

I shook my head quickly. "No. Absolutely not."

He smiled at that. "Your turn," he prodded again. His fingers started to trace up and down my ankle, without him being aware of it it seemed, as he studied his cards.

I won. Again.

"I don't like this game," Jacob said firmly, putting his cards away.

"I do," I grinned over at him. "Makes you feel so … so ..." I pretended to search for the right word, "...smart, doesn't it?"

A look crossed his face, a playful mixture of boyish and something else I couldn't quite place.

"Funny," he said. "I'd say it's based more on luck than anything else."

He ignored my little noise of protest, and leaned closer across the couch. He put his hand around my waist, pulling himself closer so he was level with my face. Then he leaned down and kissed me, long but lightly, and there was a new light in his eyes as he pulled back.

"Let's do something else," he whispered.

And we did.

Edward had been observing the two of us from his hiding place. Slowly, he had begun to realize that this new proximity between his girl and the dog would not cease. If he wanted to keep the girl, he would need to accept the proximity of dog. He had tried everything – bite, claw, hiss, scare and defend – but the dog would not take the hint. Neither would the girl. So for her own good, and to be able to keep an eye on what was his, he saw himself forced to accept the presence of Jacob Black. He did not like it, and the dog was certainly not welcome (he would make sure he didn't feel it either), but it seemed to be a necessity of the moment.

His plan to continue the same hostility was firm and resolute, and it would have worked – he was confident of it – had it not been for the visitors later that evening.

Jessica and Angela came over a couple of hours later, and they both laughed and giggled and made innuendos when Jacob was not there. It was nice, though. Today, everything felt right. We made tacos and ate in the kitchen, and they had already stayed for a couple of hours when Angela stood up from her chair.

"Oh," she exclaimed. "I forgot. I've got something for you." I watched as she left for the hallway, and heard her rummage around in her jacket pocket. Jacob's hand was still in mine under the table, as it had been almost all evening. When our eyes met, he smiled. My stomach tingled by the look he sent me. As it had all evening. Suddenly, I couldn't wait for us to be alone again.

Angela returned to the kitchen, and placed a box of cat treats on the table. "They were on sale," she explained. "And he's so adorable when I get to give him some! He acts just as if I'm his favorite person in the world." She looked around in the kitchen, to see if Edward was perched in a corner. "Where is he?"

Jacob snorted, and sent me a sideways glance. "I think," he said, "that he is out in the hallway plotting murder. Again."

Angela and Jessica sent him a questioning look. I kicked Jacob's shin under the table, which made him smile. "Well, he is," he defended himself. "And you know it," he added in my direction.

Angela frowned.

"He hates me," Jacob explained.

"He doesn't hate you," I defended. "He's just not used to you yet. He'll come around. You'll see. Thank you Angela, he really likes those."

"He doesn't like you?" Jessica puzzled. "But he always seems very friendly towards strangers. He's always been cuddly with us." She gestured between Angela and herself. "And your landlady too, I've seen it. Circling her legs and purring and stuff. And your mom."

"He's fine with females," I clarified. "I think it's just men he's got a problem with. He wouldn't come near Phil either, when he and mom visited this summer."

"Maybe he is jealous. Or hey, maybe it's the smell," Jessica speculated. "Men do smell, you know."

"Hey!" Jacob objected, at the same time as I said, "I know, that was just what I said."

Angela laughed at this. "Maybe you should keep the cat treats, Jacob, see if he likes you any better."

Later that night, when it had gotten dark out, and Jacob and I were alone again, I thought about what Angela had said. I was cuddled up next to Jacob on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket watching TV. Or, at least the TV was on. We hadn't been watching much. I broke apart from his lips, a bit too quickly than normal, and he opened his eyes to look at me.

"Here's a thought," I started. "What if Angela is right? Maybe you should get the cat treats she bought and give them to Edward. I'm sure if you give him one every time he sees you, he's going to love you by the end of the week"

Jacob kept his eyes on me, his eyes moving back and forth between mine. He looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"Do you often think about your cat when I kiss you?" he asked, his eyes glinting playfully.

I smiled.

"Well, not every time ..."

Arms wrapped around me then, and he dragged me with him down on the couch until his head was resting against the cushion and I was leaning on his chest.

"Really?" he said, pretending to be offended. "Man. I'll have to do something about that." He pulled me closer, and our lips met. I dragged the blanket over us both, his arms holding me tight to him. One hand moved up to touch my neck and hair, and it felt like electricity shooting down my back. I had to remember to breathe.

Jacob was a very good kisser. Not that I had that much to compare it to, but still. I'd had my high school sweetheart, which wasn't like this at all. Jacob kissed me slowly, stroking my neck, smiling, and my stomach felt like a constant array of butterflies. Not that it hadn't been like that for months already, but this feeling was different. More intense. Like being on a roller coaster. You love it, and you want more, and yet it's terrifying. He buried his fingers in my hair, and I moved my hand up to circle around his neck. The kiss intensified even more. My stomach tingled. By second thought, this was much cozier than any roller coaster.

Still, I couldn't quite figure him out either. I had noticed yesterday and today, and wondered about it. When he kissed me he was always taking his time, and every now and then he had this touch of confidence to him which made me think that he must be a quite experienced boy. This did not really surprise me; the Jacob I knew had always been confident. And lets face it, why wouldn't he be. He was gorgeous. He was no pimply teenager going to his first prom. No doubt, the girls in his school must have thrown themselves in his direction as soon as they reached puberty. There was just this feeling of security to him, as if he knew exactly what he was doing. Even if we hadn't been exactly like this before, in a way he had always been like that. Secure. The one who fixed things and made everything right again.

And yet, at the same time he seemed so unsure. Of himself, and also when it came to me. His laughter could turn nervous and his eyes unsure, and every now and then his cheeks would darken just a little bit, barely visible, as he would blush. I didn't know this Jacob; my friend-Jacob had never been like that, self-conscious and unsure. I just couldn't figure it out.

"Have you been with many girls?" I blurted out, breaking apart from his lips without thinking.

He opened his eyes as I leaned back, eying me for a moment with a dumbfounded expression on his face. A surprised laughter escaped his lips.

"What?"

I realized that I had just ended a perfectly nice kiss with asking about his previous love life. I frowned.

"Sorry," I said. "That wasn't supposed to happen."

Jacob laughed again, still looking a little surprised. "First you think about your cat and now you think about that. Man. I'll have to do something about that," he said, copying his words from earlier, but this time with a frown. And, just because I was this close and knew what to look for, I noticed the slight, barely visible, darkening in his cheeks.

"Oh," I said, realizing what he must think. "No, you don't have to worry about that. That's not it, at all. You're a really good kisser. I mean, really good." I felt his eyes on me and tried to dampen my own blush, with no success. "I mean, I really like it. Kissing you. That's the reason why I asked that question in the first place. I'm sorry. It just came out wrong. I shouldn't have said anything."

By now my face had turned furiously red; I could feel it as it all but radiated heat. I envied Jacob who could blush almost without anyone noticing. I peeked at him. He was measuring me with kind eyes, his lips pressed together as if amused. I sent him a tiny smile. His eyes filled with some emotion I couldn't quite place, but it was warm and kind and made my stomach tingle again. His smile widened, and he stretched his neck up from the cushion and pressed his lips to mine. When he leaned back, I could feel my cheeks return to their normal temperature. He leaned his head against the couch. We looked at each other for a moment.

"Well," he said. "Do you want a number, or …?" His face was neutral, and I couldn't quite tell if he was joking or not. Though, knowing him, he probably was.

"No, don't be silly," I said quickly, at the same time thinking with horror of three digit numbers and and the heap of exes that never got over him that I would have to compete with. "I just … It's just that I can't quite ... figure you out."

He looked at me, his face still neutral. He lifted one hand to tuck a stray hair behind my ear.

"What is it you can't figure out?" he wondered kindly.

I suddenly felt stupid. I hadn't really meant to talk to him about this at all.

"What?" he prodded, now frowning slightly. "You look so serious."

"I do?" I squeaked. "I'm not. It's not. Serious. Really. I just … I shouldn't have said anything."

Jacob pushed himself up on his elbows under me, so that we were more face to face. I placed my hands on his chest, looking down at them.

"Bells, what are you talking about?" he wondered, again in that kind voice.

I smiled, and peeked up at him. "It's nothing. Really. It was just a thought I had. Sorry. I didn't think. I didn't want that kiss to end like that..." I leaned in, and pressed my lips to his. I felt his smile under my lips as he kissed me back. I encircled my arms around him, keeping him closer.

"I know I am a guy and all that," he mumbled against my lips. "But I'm not that easily distracted."

I opened my mouth and deepened the kiss. He made a sound in the back of his throat. I let my hands slide down to his t-shirt, playing with the hem before moving my hands under it, up his stomach and chest. When our lips broke apart for just a second, he opened his eyes and mumbled "I take that back." I smiled, lips against his, and felt his stomach tighten in silent laughter.

When we broke apart, he laid back and rested his head on the couch, watching me. He moved one hand to touch my face, playing with my hair and tucking it behind my ear again, like he so often did. As I looked at him, it hit me that this was Jacob. Little, annoying Mud-Pie Jacob. I could not remember ever being this happy with someone.

"Bells," he finally said, smiling and playing with my hair. "What is it you're wondering about?"

Well, when he said it like that, it wasn't so bad. I looked down at my hands, resting on his chest, taking my time to put the right words together .

"I just ... can't quite figure out why you seem a bit nervous sometimes," I smiled. "That's all."

"Oh."

I looked at him. He looked surprised. And also, there it was again. The slight darkening of his cheeks.

"See," I said, pointing at his face. "Now you're blushing. But you never blush. For me, on the other hand, that's completely normal, I'm nervous all the time. But not you. You're always confident. At least, you were never nervous when we were only friends."

He hoisted himself up on one elbow, facing me. I did the same, leaning against the back of the couch. I stroke my hand across his cheek, which made him look up.

"You don't think I was nervous?" he asked quietly. There was a smile lurking there in his face.

"You were?"

He raised his eyebrows. "I've been a nervous wreck around you for quite a while."

I frowned. That didn't make any sense. "Seriously? But why?"

"Because … it's you," he said simply, as if that would be obvious. I frowned at him. He'd gotten it all wrong, it was supposed to be the other way around. He smiled at my expression.

"But you're Jacob," I said, as if he didn't know. "You're so … I don't know, relaxed. And confident. You make jokes and you make awkwardness go away; that's your job."

He laughed at that. I still looked at him dubiously, feeling that he must have misunderstood me somehow.

"It was you who kissed me, you know, like the three first times," I continued. "I'm the nervous wreck. It's you who make everything right again when I screw up."

"You don't screw up," he contradicted. I raised my eyebrows, and he did too, as if in reply. "You think you do, yes," he clarified. "But you don't really." I pressed my lips together, trying to understand. Jacob nervous? Me not screwing up? It sounded weird.

Jacob looked at me, then looked down at our intertwined hands. "I've had girlfriends," he started, peeking up at me, and I understood that he was replying to my blunt question before. "In high school, you know, when it wasn't so serious, and later. And you're right. I haven't usually been very nervous."

I only nodded, careful to keep a neutral face. I hadn't really meant to ask – I didn't need to know.

He continued. "But then, you see, they were never friends. They were never you."

I frowned again. He was still studying our hands, his resting on top of mine. "You're Bella," he said, echoing what I had said to him earlier. "I don't think you quite get the meaning of that. You're my friend, and for a very long time, you were the only girl I knew who wasn't family. You were older, and you were funny, and pretty, and I liked you a lot."

Jacob peeked up at me, his lips curving sightly as if trying to hide a smile. "And then I met you again, after a very long time. And you were even prettier. And still really funny. And kind of quirky and silly and weird, and unpredictable. And clumsy, which is very cute. You're not shallow, or self-obsessed. You're kind. And really hot," he added seriously, as if realizing he hadn't mentioned that yet.

I giggled, which I never did. Our eyes met, before his eyes strayed down to our hands. "So, I liked you, and I wanted to be with you, and then you kissed me that night, and it was all great, well, until you didn't feel so great ..." Here he was looking up into the ceiling, pretending to think back, trying his best not to laugh. I couldn't help but laugh myself.

"Oh, don't talk about it," I mumbled, covering my face with my hands as I could feel the blush returning, remembering that horrible night when I had puked in his bathroom and fallen asleep to let him do all the cleaning. Jacob was shaking with silent laughter next to me, but trying to keep it in.

"And then," he continued, still chuckling a little. "You sneaked out on me, and I didn't see you for weeks. And I lost my job, and you kinda rescued me, because that's what you do, even if you had a cold and was kind of grumpy, and just wanted to go home. Instead you shared your apartment with me, who hadn't called you in weeks by the way, which was a very kind thing to do. And I got to know you again. More. I got to see you, every day. I got to eat breakfast with you every day. And even though we were just friends … I had this feeling that there was something more to it, if that makes any sense?"

He peeked up at me, before looking back down. "I've always liked you, Bells. To me, you're Bella Swan. That's kinda huge. Because we're friends, we've always been, you're from home. You know me. You're important. So now, this," he gestured between us, on the couch, close, hands intertwined, "I don't want to screw this up. And I guess if I'm nervous with you, that's just it right there. It's you."

My heart seemed to have been hammering extra fast while he was speaking. I just looked into his eyes, and he finally looked up from our hands and met my gaze. The nervous look was there, but at the same time he smiled, and his expression was warm and Jacoby. I removed my hand from his only to place it around his neck. I kissed him, briefly.

"You see, Jacob," I told him. "To me it's the other way around. You're Jacob Black. I don't think you quite get the meaning of that."

His lips crashed into mine then, and his arm wrapped around my waist to bring me closer, I put my arm around his neck and kept him there, and the kiss deepened and again, I had to remember to breathe. He was smiling, lips against mine, and I grinned. He wrapped both arms around me, and he was warm, and he was so close, and the butterflies in my stomach went crazy. He opened his eyes to look at me, for a brief second that we broke apart, and his eyes were twinkling. Then we were kissing again, and I wanted more, and my fingers traced under his shirt as his lips moved down my neck.

And then, when I least expected it, he pulled us both up. A noise of surprise escaped my lips, but he just kept kissing me as he stood up, lifting me, wrapping my legs around his waist. I started laughing, and so did he, and then we were kissing, and laughing and when I almost slid down he hoisted me further up and I clung to him as he walked us into my room. We tipped over into the bed, still laughing, and kissing, and I loved him, and I couldn't remember ever being happier.

And from that on, Jacob stopped sleeping on the couch altogether.