J is for Jet
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Twilight characters.
Jet stream (n): fast, flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmosphere.
He strikes an intimidating pose, stomping down the street, brow of dark clouds, eyes of lightning and fists of thunder. The few pedestrians that are out and about enjoying the day that see him coming quickly and non-discretely move out of his way. They exchange quick and worried glances; two girls take hold of one another arms fearing for whoever is the cause and recipient of Jacob Black's rage.
The small light blue house is ahead of him and he doesn't slow down his pace, the honking of a car horn registers and he flips the driver off without a second thought. His heavy boots echo on the wooden porch announcing his arrival. Instead of ringing the doorbell he bangs on the door, the frame trembling under the force and only finds relief when Sue Clearwater swings the door open.
"Is Leah here?" Jacob asks through clenched teeth. He doesn't care that Sue had stepped back when she saw his hulking figure filling up her doorway. He doesn't care that she's so…startled by his appearance that she can only dumbly shake her head. "Is she running errands?" Sue, again, quickly shakes her head, her right hand fisting the collar of her shirt as if the act alone could save her. "Good."
Jacob doesn't look back or answer as Sue finds her voice and nerve asking him what he wanted her daughter for.
He was an idiot, a complete, masochistic idiot. Bella had dumped him – again. They had made plans to spend the day together: movies, hangout in a music store, window shop and whatever else tickled their fancy in Port Angeles. Instead, she came over in his car to tell him that she and Edward were getting back together. The only 'consolation' she offered was 'you're my best friend, Jake, and I didn't want to call you and tell you'. She then kissed his cheek and ran off to jump in Edward Cullen's prissy silver Mercedes Benz.
He finds the object of his search and is only mildly surprised that he found her so quickly. Leah is lying on top of a blanket in their meadow staring up at the sky. He continues stomping towards her and only pauses to glare down at her. It only takes a second for her to look at him, assess the situation and without a word shift over making room for him.
"Didn't expect to see you at all today," Leah states as Jacob lies down beside her. There's the crinkle of plastic as Jacob settles down, the tarp underneath the blanket shifts angrily as if annoyed that someone else has decided to ruin the comfortable silence.
The two friends don't say another word for a couple of minutes. Leah focuses her attention on the sky and the sounds around her while Jacob sits glaring hatefully at the sky, his arms crossed tightly and the sound of his heated blood pounding in his ears.
"She dumped me,"
"She dumped you," Jacob growls as Leah makes the statement in unison with him. The fact that there is no mocking or condescending tone to her words makes it harder to be angry at her.
"She went back to her pretty-bed-head-rich boy," Jacob grumbles out.
"Again," Leah supplies and he repeats it. The pair is silent again as Jacob feels his anger and aggression melting away in the late morning sun.
"What's wrong with me?" Jacob asks as the anger is replaced with insecurity.
"Nothing, Jake," Leah answers finally moving to look at him. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. Same as there is nothing wrong with me." Jacob's biceps twitch thinking back when Leah had asked him the very same question. Sam Uley had cheated on Leah with her cousin, Emily Young. He held her, out in this very same meadow, as she cried wanting to know what was wrong with her. She wanted to know what had she done wrong.
They had then gone back to her house and were just hanging out when Uley showed up. He apologized to Leah, made up some excuse about how he wasn't thinking straight. Jacob listened just out of view to Sam's lies because he heard Sam confess his love to Emily that morning while she was at work in the Makah trading store. Leah had been ready to take Sam back, to welcome him back into her heart unaware that Uley would break it again. Jacob had then made his presence known and told Sam to get his ass off their porch. Leah and Jacob fought that afternoon, viciously, but it ended when Jacob told Leah what he heard.
Sam was pissed at Jacob for ruining his 'cookie jar' but Jacob didn't care. Fuck bros before hoes. Leah wasn't a hoe and deserved better then Uley. That was what Jacob told him the last time the two boys crossed paths days afterwards. It was the first time Jacob had gotten into a fight over a girl – he won.
Jacob can't help but smirk at the memory.
"You're awesome," Leah says with a smile. Jacob looks over at her, stunned at her words, the soft voice she whispered it in. She said it like it was a secret that she didn't want anyone else to know. "It's Bella's own fault if she doesn't see that." Jacob looks up at the sky trying to fight the heated blush peppering his cheeks at Leah's words. She looked so sweet and beautiful saying it.
"I'm absolutely awesome too," Leah says with a smirk and bit of arrogance in her voice. "Close your eyes and I'll show how awesome I am." Leah orders. Jacob can't help but stare at Leah skeptically at her command. "Just do it." Leah says with a smile and against his better judgment Jacob does as he was told. His heart races as he hears the tarp and blanket shifting under Leah's body as she scoots closer to him. His mind blasts an image of Leah looking at his face, her full lips parted and her tongue flicking out to lick them, moisten them before she kisses him.
"Uh…Leah," Jacob calls out as nothing happens.
"Just wait for it – be patient." Leah whispers, her head resting next to his. Jacob waits, his body relaxing feeling Leah's hip pressed into his side, her shoulder against his bicep and the top of her head next to his ear. "Open them,"
Jacob blinks rapidly for a second, his eyes adjusting to the light again as he's only vaguely aware that it's been a couple of minutes since Leah's command. Looking up he sees Leah hand above him, her fingers spread out against the clear blue sky. His eyes widen slightly to see her fingertips resting at the bottom of four jet streams.
"See, told you I was awesome." Leah says softly. Jacob smiles down at her and looks back up at the sky and her fingers. It looks like she streaked the sky with powder or rend the heavens with her nails.
Silently Jacob places his hand on top of Leah's his fingers now replacing hers. It doesn't work out so well since his fingers are so much bigger but as he feels a spark from the contact – none of that matters.
"I got my test results for the ASVAB." Leah states breaking the comfortable silence and ruining Jacob's mood.
"What? So…you'll…you'll be leaving?" He questions quickly sitting up.
"Yep, I got it last night. Figured why not make all that information you've crammed into my head about engines useful?" Leah says with a shrug sitting up.
Jacob sits silently thinking over the news Leah has laid on him. He recalls when they both went down to Seattle to take the test. He was so nervous that he just knew he had flunked. But Leah had gotten her results already – she passed it. She would be leaving the rez, going off to some base, possibly out in the middle of the ocean. She wouldn't be at home, work or in the meadow when he'd need her. They wouldn't sit up at night and stare at the same night sky huddled in a blanket when both should be in bed.
"Come on, I'm hungry." Leah declares nudging Jacob's shoulder as she stands up. Reluctantly Jacob gets up and together they fold up the blanket and the tarp. Sarah had taught both of them how to fold up a blanket through a dance that they still, in secret, performed from time-to-time. Today was no different. Despite the somber mood he can't help but smile as Leah hums a tune his mother taught them as they fold and dance together. The smile doesn't fall as they deposit the tarp and blanket in their camouflaged trunk. Jacob remembers how the two of them had scraped and saved to buy the trunk – their treasure trunk, was what they decided to call it. Each holding up one end, they had walked into the woods, into their meadow and spent hours painting it to blend in. It really wasn't much of a 'treasure trunk' as all it now held was the tarp, blanket, a tent, two sleeping bags and some bags of chips. The snacks would have to be replenished soon – but what will be the point if she's gone?
The two spend the rest of the day together hanging out in Port Angeles. They watched a movie and jumped from theater to theater until an usher caught them and sent them packing with their heads hung low and tails tucked in between their legs. They ate lunch at a diner with huge burgers and Jacob watched in awe and wonder as Leah ate the whole thing and hissed a curse at her as she took his twenty bucks for succeeding. Jacob's mood lightens as he and Leah simply hang out just being themselves and doing anything and everything together. They help each other pick out clothes that neither can afford. Jacob laughs as Leah walks into a spider web, freaks out and begins karate chopping the air. And they ride back in a heavy and tense silence, both angry at the other: Leah because Jacob laughed at her and Jacob because Leah punched him for laughing at her; both reactions hurting the other on some level.
"I'm sorry," They both apologize in unison and then laugh.
Jacob tries to hide his disappointment when Sarah asks Leah to stay for dinner and she declines. He walks her home silently, his thoughts continually slipping into the grim reality that these maybe some of the last few days he'll have with Leah Clearwater.
"Another jet stream," Leah calls out pointing at the sky. "Your turn," Leah orders nudging Jacob as he looks up at the sky. It's easier this time and a lump forms in his throat as Leah moves to stand in front of him, her neck craning to see from his POV and her back pressed against him.
He doesn't like the idea of Leah leaving La Push, not seeing her for who knows how long, not hearing her voice, dance folding with her, holding her when she feels sad, having her comfort him when he's mad – just everything in general. What would happen with her gone?
The woman you love will not be someone who you can't live without. She'll be one who you can't dream of being without.
His mother's words hit him as he looks down at Leah. A day without Bella was easy to imagine – he'd gotten used to not having her around. Her not being here with him didn't, really, bother him unless she was the reason for their change in plans. But…with Leah…it was different. She was different…and special.
Jacob's arms wrap Leah up into a tight hug and the hold only tightens after her body tenses from the new contact and she relaxes. Burying his nose into the crook of her neck he inhales her scent and hates that he's just now awakening to what has always been right in front of him.
She is absolutely awesome.
It takes a while but Jacob releases his hold enough for Leah to turn around in his arms and return the hug. Her arms squeeze his body tightly showing that she understands what he's finally realized.
"Leah, your dad's looking for ya," Jacob looks up annoyed as Paul walks by with a smart ass smirk on his face. His voice having, successfully, pulled Leah out of the moment and the daddy's girl in her ready to respond to Harry's wishes at the flick of a switch.
"I have to get going." Leah states giving Jacob a small smile. He still walks her home, this time, their fingers intertwined and a new and exhilarating shyness and bond between them.
He wants to ask her when she's leaving – to know how much time they have left together. Jacob knows that just because they hugged and are now so close to sharing their first kiss that it won't prevent some other bastard from sweet talking her somewhere on base. Yet, he really doesn't want to know because then it'd mean rushing.
She hates being rushed.
"You should check the mail when you get home." Leah states before falling into another hug with Jacob. "Like I said, all that mechanical stuff you taught me has to be good for something." Before he can question her about what she's talking about, all connotative thought leaves him as Leah leans up and plants a quick kiss on his lips. There's that same spark he felt earlier when he touched her hand and he can't help the goofy grin he gives Leah as she disappears inside. It stays with him all the way home and not even a message from Bella can take it away.
As he flops down on his bed, he stares up at the ceiling still reeling from the kiss when Billy throws something at him. Looking down he sees it's his results from the ASVAB. Billy and Sarah look on with small, proud smiles as Jacob tears into the letter and quickly skim it.
I passed!
"You passed, right?" Sarah asks as Jacob jumps and hugs both of his parents tightly.
He calls Leah and tells her the good news. They talk all night about what the future will bring them and as the night sky begins to brighten with the morning dawn Jacob looks down at the lightly snoring Leah, huddled in the blanket with him. Just above the horizon Jacob watches as a jet streaks across the sky.
A/N: So here goes Jet. I had a couple of ideas for this one: one that just had me cracking me up every time I wrote it up but then it suddenly hit me that it would work against another story idea I have. So scraped it, but don't worry because it'll see the light of day again. But this week has been crazy busy at work for the last three weeks and I finally have some time to get some writing done. So I pulled this together and I don't know about you all but I like this one. It's not my favorite but I give my seal of approval for this: v^-^v. With my family that little seal carries a lot of weight. LOL. But you all know what to do…tell me what you think. Up next is Keeper.