Chapter 8: Garage

A/N: Here's a nice long chapter for ya! I hope y'all enjoy the drama and Ben having a very hard time constantly. Also enjoy Jacob being as confusing as ever because I really just love making him hot and cold with his feelings and actions.

"Call me when you get back home, ok?" Ben hugged Leah close, nuzzling himself against her chest. They'd been nearly inseparable for four years and now they would be hours apart, neither of them were excited about it but they both knew it was time. "Bitch, I'll be calling you nearly everyday! Who else is going to watch reruns of Jersey Shore with me and listen to me yell at the TV? Also, I want midnight margarita time in a few days, so be ready to get down to lime in the coconut!" She nudged her forehead against his and then grabbed his right hand with hers, "Your blood, my blood, our blood baby!" She emphasized the statement by planting a kiss to their joined fingers.

He let out a wet laugh, wiping at his face with his free hand. "I love you, Lee. I'll see you in a month." He felt her press another kiss to his forehead, using it as a distraction while she dabbed at her own face. "God Bee, you've made me soft over the years!" Ben lifted his head and they just stared at each other, hands still clenched together between them. They'd been each other's best friends, support system, and knew each other nearly better than they knew themselves.

"I'm going to miss you." They said the statement simultaneously, flinging their arms around each other once again. Lee lifted him off the ground, spinning him around the yard as he giggled like a mad man. "I swear to god you better stay in one piece while I'm gone, if any of those boys give you trouble I won't hesitate phasing just so I can tear any one off them to shreds. No one messes with my Bee except me!" He rolled his eyes, burrowing his head into the crook of her neck. "Don't worry, I can handle my own for a little while."

Leah set him on his feet, taking one good final look at him. "Ok, I'm off! If i don't pull myself away now, I might end up finding an excuse to stay." They bumped their foreheads together one last time and then he was watching her pull down the dirt drive while they both screamed 'I love you's' and profanity until she disappeared.

The sudden silence weighed on him as he turned back towards the little house. "Ok Swan, you're a big boy now." He sucked in a breath and then marched up the couple steps and into his new start.

…

He set the pan of brownies in the passenger seat of his truck, and then tossed his backpack on the cabs floor. His heart had been racing all morning from the anxiety of finally heading down to La Push, he'd been putting it off for days but now that Leah was gone he'd run out of excuses.

"Come on, it's not like they're gonna bite ya' damn head off." He muttered to himself as he swung up into the driver's seat. It was still early in the day, the chill of morning still hanging around making him shiver. Starting the truck he flipped on the heater, pressing his fingers to the vent in hopes of thawing them before he had to have them wrapped around the wheel for nearly an hour.

Peering out of the windshield towards the woods he couldn't help but wonder who was watching him today. Seth and Paul would come up to the house when they were on guard duty, but most of the time the wolves stayed in the shadows. It was unsettling to say the least, but at least he knew what was skulking around in the dark. At least they weren't hunters of his kind, and they'd protect him from those that were.

With his hands finally warmed he grabbed up his phone and flipped through his music, he needed something to psych himself up. Finally finding what he was looking for he grinned and queued up his favorites. 'Wobbly' by Ezra Furman blasted out of his speakers, his voice screaming along with the lyrics as he shifted into drive and made his way down the dirt drive to the road.

The drive passed in a blur of anxiety, music, and overthinking. He hadn't seen Jacob since he'd practically screamed his confession about the Cullen's at him, would the man even allow him in the garage or would he try to interrogate him some more? Ben tried to not think about the worst option, that he'd just ignore him all together.

Once across the rez line he made his way steadily towards where Seth had instructed him. He couldn't help the small sad smile that spread over his lips, the truck he drove now was not the one his dad had bought from Billy all those years ago. It wasn't the truck Jacob rebuilt for him, he missed that old girl.

He rubbed the dashboard of his current truck lovingly, "Don't worry baby, I love you too but that truck was a beautiful monster." He'd driven that thing back and forth from Forks to La Push a countless amount of times at one point. Now here he was a near stranger to a place he'd spend so many hours with his best friend, in a truck that had never traveled over the roads he knew so well.

Soon the garage was coming into view, the sight of his shooting his heart into his stomach. The place was a respectable size, the rocky parking lot littered with various cars and trucks. The big doors were wide open and he could see several people working inside. The closer he got, the more of them seemed to be looking up and staring at his truck. He parked in one of the open spots, rubbing a shaking hand over his face. "You can do this." Laying his head on the steering wheel he closed his eyes in an attempt to gather himself together before doing the walk of shame up to the front.

His driver side door was suddenly pulled open, "Hey Ben!" He nearly flew out of his skin, a small yelp escaping him as his head flew back into the headrest. "Fuck Seth! I swear to god between you and your sister I'm going to die of fright!" He looked up from his seat and found the man's face, "Sorry dude!" He let out a snicker and Ben punched his arm, he knew it would hurt him more than the wolf but it was the principal of it. "What do you think it's funny?"

He unbuckled and then pulled himself from the cab, playfully nudging Seth away from him. "I'm going to put a bell around your damn neck." The man followed him to the other side of the truck, both of them trying their best to conceal laughter. Ben handed him the platter of brownies and then swung his backpack up on his own back before shutting the door.

"Wolves can eat chocolate right? Or should I have the vet on standby?" The man rolled his eyes, "Ha ha, wow Swan look who got a sense of humor!" They snickered and sent jabs at each other as they made their way up to the open doors. The smell of oil and grease was powerful and it brought back memories of working on motorcycles in a barn with his best friend, he tried his best to not look for him among the faces peering out at them.

"Swan!" Paul jogged over, he was covered in oil stains and had his arms wide open for a hug. "Lahote don't you dare!" Ben moved behind Seth, putting the man's body between them. "Oh come on Swan, it's just a little grime!" Seth and Paul let out hearty laughs as he ran from the wolf's arms, "I swear to god Paul, I will find a way to kick your ass!"

"Oh I look forward to that, kid." Lahote was suddenly in front of him, big hands grabbing him by the waist ready to lift him into bigger arms. The man froze, face dropping along with his hands. Ben stared at him with a puzzled expression and turned to Seth and noticed that he was also standing unmoving and stiff. The puzzle pieces clicked together quickly when he saw Jacob, he stared at them with a look of fury. He couldn't help shrinking back behind Seth's rigged body, the silence was deafening.

"Lahote, get the fuck back to work!" He was gone in a flash, but Ben was more focused on the back of Seth's shirt. He could hear gravel crunching under boots, Jacob was heading towards them. "What is he doing here?"

"His truck needs a tune up, I told him to come by and let me work on it." He spoke steadily, but Ben could tell that he was trying his best to not further his alpha's anger. "You have orders to fill already, when were you planning on fitting him in?" Jacob's voice was stern, he couldn't see him from where he stood but he could picture those eyes.

"I'll work something out." His reply came not even a beat later, "No." There was a pause between words, and he was on edge just waiting for something to blow. The anxiety was too much, he couldn't help the words from tumbling from his mouth. "It's fine, I'll go somewhere else." He turned, he wanted to run back to his truck but he figured that was a bad idea so he tried to keep his pace a steady walk.

He could feel a sudden warmth behind him and it halted him in his tracks, he stood as still as he could manage. "I'll take a look at the truck." Ben's heart pounded against his chest, and he tried to will himself to turn around. Eventually he got his feet to move and he peered up at those onyx eyes, "Why?"

He looked caught off guard by the question for a moment but rebounded quickly, "You're a paying customer." The answer hit Ben like a fucking truck to his to his chest, "Oh." His fear was quickly turning to anger and he turned back towards his truck. "My money will be good anywhere then."

He tugged open his door just to have it slammed back in his face. The force made him jump back in surprise and straight into a chest as hard as a wall. The sudden enveloping warmth that spread through his entire body felt like pure unfiltered bliss, for the first time in days he didn't feel like he was icing over inside. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, leaning into the heat in an attempt to draw as much of it into his body as possible. He couldn't even remember why he'd been upset or even where he was, the only things he could comprehend in that moment was the warmth and a strong thumping heartbeat he could listen to for hours.

Then the moment was over, ripped away just as quickly as it had come. He shivered, teeth chattering painfully as the numbing cold climbed back over his body. He wrapped his arms around himself as he turned in search of his sun. Jacob stood several feet away with his arms crossed over his chest. "You're already here and the next closest mechanic is in Port Angeles."

Ben gaped at him, his brain still reeling from the hit of straight ecstasy he'd experienced. He suddenly felt like crying as the ice in his veins sent another tremor down his spine, "Ok, Jacob." His legs felt like jelly as he moved towards the man, god how he wished to bury himself in those big arms he'd missed so much and only seemed to miss more everyday. Jacob sidestepped and he let autopilot carry him up to the garage doors.

...

He wasn't sure how he'd found it or when he'd sat down on the grease stained couch, but the next thing he tuned in for was someone calling his name. "Ben! Dude!" He followed the voice and ended up meeting familiar eyes. Seth was staring at him with a worried look and holding out a dripping water bottle. "Sorry, guess I've been spacing." He accepted the drink with a weak smile and then sat it on the little table in front of him. The man squatted down beside him, "I'm sorry, I didn't say it but I didn't think he'd be here today."

Ben searched his face, "You didn't think he was going to be here? What was your reason for having me come out here then?" He'd honestly figured it had something to do with Jacob. "I just wanted you to come see the garage and hang out with some of the guys. They've been wanting to meet you and it makes us all a lot more comfortable having you on our land." He rubbed his neck and let out a coughing laugh, "Also I thought maybe having your smell around might calm him down some, but he was supposed to be busy today. I guess the meeting with the council fell through and he got one of the other guys running patrols."

Seth's answers only made him want to ask a million more questions, "Why would they want to meet me?" His voice was empty as he asked it. "Ben you're our Alpha's imprint, that's kind of a big deal. Also, even though some of us technically met you years ago we didn't get to meet YOU. We didn't know Ben back then."

He didn't know how to react, coming here today was an emotional roller coaster and he didn't care for roller coasters even in the best of times. "You're a good friend Seth, this is just...a lot." He ran his hand through his curls and pulled back his hood, allowing it to fall. "I just kind of figured everyone would be uncomfortable having me around." The wolf shrugged at him, "It'll take time, but everyone just figures...you've been through enough already."

Great, they were pitying him after seeing his slip up through Paul's eyes and finding out about the Callens. He couldn't help but wonder how they'd feel if they actually knew half of his secrets. He hoped they never would, "When's the next time you're patrolling around my place?" He wanted to change the subject, escape that look he had in his eyes. "Tomorrow, I'll be around from dusk till dawn."

"Good, you can join your sister and I for our digital date." He rolled his eyes and stood up, "Can't wait to listen to her scream at reality tv show reruns again." The man gave him a reassuring smile before turning back towards the workshop.

Looking around he finally took stock of his surroundings. The makeshift "waiting room" was mostly made up of mismatched furniture and was set up just in the back of the garage, he could still freely watch the men at work. Off to his left was a hallway that he assumed would contain a bathroom and office possibly. Rock music and various tools rattled around him and he suddenly realized just how loud it was in here, he was thankful he'd remembered his good headphones this morning.

Pulling his backpack up from the ground he rooted around in it until he found them. He queued up a playlist and then pulled his sketchbook out along with various pens and pencils. He could see several of the wolves at work from where he sat and he wanted to use the opportunity of free models to get in some interesting sketches.

He sat there for several hours, sketching until his hand hurt and his legs were littered with pencil shavings from the many times he'd had to use his pocket knife to re-sharpen his tool. He flipped through the filled pages of various levels of detailed drawings, he'd even broken out his watercolors for a few of them. If nothing else good came from today, at least he'd been able to get some good practice out of this mess.

He set his sketchbook down on the coffee table to allow a wet page to dry. Standing up he made his way to the hallway in search of the bathroom. There were only two doors, one on either side but neither were marked. 'Great.' He thought to himself in a huff. He decided to go with the one on the left. The door was white, thin, and opened with ease as he pushed his way through. The room was dark even with the light that trailed in behind him. He searched the wall for a light switch but had to walk further in to do so. Finally finding the switch he flipped it eagerly, ready to be out of the dark.

It was not the bathroom, but a small office. The room was furnished with a desk, chair, computer, side table and well loved sofa. The desk was littered with paperwork and notepads, the stacks leaning precariously in a way that made him very nervous. Looking at the couch he could tell someone was sleeping in here, or that the boys would at least come nap in here sometimes. The pillows blankets looked like someone had just rolled out of it. He was turning back out of the room when something on the side table caught his eye. The picture frame was wood and scuffed and it was rough under his fingers as he snatched it off the table.

He felt a mixture of emotions as he stared at the photo. His old face and a younger Jacob stared back at him, smiling faces beaming out of the picture. God they'd been so young, and he'd been so blind and stupid. He nearly slammed the frame back down as he put it back in its place, tears already slipping down his face. He'd kept a piece of him near where he slept, a part of him that no longer existed. Dysphoria, anger, and sadness reared their necks at him and he tried his best to get a hold of things before the roof caved in on him. He wiped a frustrated hand over his cheeks, "He fell in love with her Ben, not you." He spoke the words to himself, the harsh reminder making his heart feel like it was being held in a death grip. "No one has ever fallen in love with you, it was always her for both of them."

He straightened the old photo and then swung around to leave, he needed to get out of this room. It smelled like Jacob and held a life he'd never truly been a part of. He froze as he nearly slammed into that chest again. He could feel his face growing hot from both his embarrassment and the heat that radiated out of the body in front of him, in that moment he thought dropping dead wouldn't be so bad. Neither of them moved and he didn't dare look up at those eyes. He gulped, "I'm sorry...I was looking for the bathroom." His voice was little more than a whisper, his heartbeat nearly blocking it from his own ears. Jacob didn't say a word, Ben didn't so much as breathe too deeply.

The silence dragged on and finally he couldn't stand it any longer, he tried to find an opening around him but the fear of touching him again stalled him. He didn't think he could handle having that warmth ripped away a second time today. He didn't see any other choice though, he sidestepped around him and nearly crumbled as their shoulders brushed. His eyes were filled with stars as the touch shot warmth and euphoria through his system, for a moment he understood how people became addicted to drugs. The cold was back in a heartbeat and it was painful, but he was almost free from that room.

Big hands wrapped around his waist and then his back was being pushed against the wall with force. He had no recovery time, head already swimming. He gasped, eyes rolling behind their lids. Suddenly, he was being lifted off the ground and he couldn't help but wrap himself around that body eagerly, he wanted him as close as possible. The smell of pine, musk, and oil was like nothing else and he knew he would bathe in it if he could. Deciding the next best thing, he buried his face in the man's neck, skin against skin sending sparks through his body like lightning. The man let out a hiss of air, body shaking between his legs.

Jacob grabbed Ben's arms and pulled them from his neck. He took both of his wrists in one hand and pressed them into the wall above Ben's head, his knuckles knocking against the drywall. He whimpered, and tried to lift his head to search for Jacob's eyes. The warmth and comforting feeling was changing into something else, he was melting against him.

He sucked in a breath as Jacob's hips pressed harder between his legs, he didn't know how much of this he could handle. "Look at me." The words dragged him from where he'd been drowning and he found those deep eyes staring at him from under knit brows. His eyes weren't the same color, the usual onyx black now a deep espresso brown. Jacob was studying him, his body keeping his own completely still under strong hands. "Chocolate." The word was puzzling and made no sense to his reeling mind.

He didn't know what to do, didn't know what to think or say. All he could focus on was how badly he wanted Jacob to touch him, REALLY touch him. The man moved again finally but the next thing he knew he was being set back down on the ground. He reluctantly let go and watched him as he took several steps back. "I finished the work on your truck. You can pay Seth and he'll get the money to me." He searched Jacob's face, tried to find something behind that steel mask but all he saw was absolutely nothing.

The chill that ran through his bones made him want to collapse, but the rush of sudden sadness and rejection got his feet moving. He felt absolutely humiliated and hurt that Jacob would play with him so cruelly. He ran from the room, not turning back once as he bolted for his backpack. He snatched it off the ground in one fluid motion and then weaved through the cars and men in the workshop. Ben caught Seth's eyes for a split second, more tears pouring down his cheeks as he blinked and turned back towards the door. He broke through the shadows and into the parking lot, making it to his truck in record time. He turned the key which was already in the ignition and left nothing but dirt and gravel in his wake as he sped away from that place.

When he'd crossed the rez line, he finally allowed the sobs to escape his chest and the tears didn't stop until he pulled into his driveway. As he trudged up the steps to the door, he paused. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he hit Leah's contact. The line rang only once before she picked up, "Hey babe!' Her voice made him smile but also sent more tears pouring over the edges of his eyes, "Get drunk with me, please?"