Shatterglass
Title: Chapter 2 - Cloudy with a Chance of Problematic Realizations and Destructive Behaviors
Rating: This chapter is R. Eventually there will be NC-17, most likely.
Pairing: Bella/Edward, Eventual Jacob/Edward
Summary: Jacob always wanted an imprint. It just never occurred to him it could have irreversible consequences.
A/N: Thanks for your reviews everyone, really. It'd be pointless writing this if noone liked it, right? Let's see if we can get the plot boulder rolling. Thank you Starry-nights88 for being a goddess.
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"Jacob."
"Jake."
"Jacob."
…
"JACOB!"
The shifter was jolted abruptly out of his stupor, finally, (I'm not so sure that fits there. It sounds funny with the rest of the sentence) by his best friend's previously failing attempts at gaining his distracted attention.
"Jacob, seriously, you've been staring at that same article for the past twenty minutes and ignoring everything I've been saying to… no, not to, at you. It's annoying." Bella prods at him, indicating the piece on some fancy new machinery that Jacob hadn't been particularly caring about, nor paying attention to, in the car magazine he had purchased earlier that afternoon.
To be honest he hadn't really been paying attention to anything at all the past twenty or so hours. The boy had been too preoccupied with his own thoughts, most of which surrounded the unexplainable feelings of sinking loneliness and a confusing lack of intestines. Upon exiting this very room the night before, each step away from the door increased the depths in which his stomach sank. He figured coming back today would maybe fix it, maybe prove once and for all that they, the shifter and his girl, were truly destined to—
"Jake!" Bella jabbed him hard in the shoulder, taking the boy by surprise and almost knocking him over. "Pay attention!" The older girl demanded.
Embarrassed by his short attention span and a bit annoyed at being interrupted from his thoughts, the boy lowered his head. "Sorry, Bells. I was just thinking. You've got my attention."
"Good," she replied triumphantly, "Now do your job as my best friend. This one," she holds up a black dress, still on the hanger, in front of her, "Or this one?" She switches out the black dress for another black dress that was minutely different from the first one in a way that Jacob was absolutely positive existed, but just didn't know or couldn't find it in himself to find out what it was.
"Er… The black one looks nice," he says jokingly, being rewarded with a punch in the arm. "What?" He demanded. "I don't see what you're so worked up about anyway. You're just going to a dinner." He felt the familiar twinge of jealousy, complete with the new and unfamiliar difference in the wave of envy, as he thought of the two of them together, tucked away into a dark corner of a dimly lit, romantic restaurant; Edward feeding her forkfuls of some professionally prepared steak or other gourmet delicacy. Jacob, thankfully, suppressed a surprising need to vomit.
"Fine. Be that way," Bella pouts, irritation threading itself freely through her words. "I like this one," she said, indicating option one. "What's so wrong with me getting fancy every once in awhile?"
The young wolf resists laughter and gets up, fake concern on his every feature. "Are you alright?" He asks, placing the back of his hand on her forehead. The idea of Bella voluntarily dressing up was obviously both alarming and amusing. "We should probably check you into a hospital."
Bella bodily pushes the laughing wolf back on the bed. "Shut up, you, or… or I'll—" Her eyes narrowed playfully. "I'll tell everyone at school about how you still sleep with, what was his name again?" She asked playfully, tapping her chin. "Oh yeah. That's it. I'll tell everyone your need to sleep with Farm Bing."
The shifter's eyes shot open in shock. "You. Wouldn't. Dare," he growled at the mention of a public declamation of the still valid existence and use of his baby blanket.
"Oh yes, yes I would," she declares coolly. After a second's thought her look mellowed. "I just want to look nice tonight, is that really so awful?" She sighed out the last part and fell onto her bed next to the wolf.
The innocent question sent Jacob reeling in the flood of cold jealousy washing through him. Would that ever get old, or would he ever get used to it? Probably not.
For over a year, ever since Bella had moved back to Forks, he'd been spurned at every advance. For that short time when Edward had disappeared and Jacob had slipped in, he had been her rock. He'd helped her feel real again, and officially adding his name to the ballot, and just when he'd thought he had secured the election, she ran off to Italy. Only to return in Edward's arms once again. He'd been so sure that he and Bella were absolutely made for each other; she was destined to be his imprint.
Even as the wolf thought through all of this, he couldn't help but feel that the entire idea was wrong. It even went so far as to put a metaphoric bad taste in his mouth. Up until now, these thoughts would make him glow with personal happiness, but now… Now the beliefs he used to cherish seemed so… amiss— Even.. downright horrifying.
He couldn't figure out what had happened between then and now, but he apparently had subconsciously or otherwise unknowingly given up on the chase for the girl, and his wolf had move on. He couldn't tell how that made him feel, but apparently the girl he was mulling over in his mind had decided now wasn't the time to be figuring that out.
He was jerked to the present by Bella waving her hand in front of his face, "Jake! Ah! He lives!" She exclaimed. Her joking tone turned genuinely caring as she asked, "Are you sure you're alright? You've been acting weird all day… Ever since you left last night, actually."
With his train of thought successfully derailed, Jacob was thrown back into himself, "Huh? Sorry, what now?"
"What's going on with you?" She asked again, concerned. "Are you having trouble with your pack or something?"
"No. No," he denied. "No, it's nothing like that. I just… don't feel well… Still." He forced a grin. "Really, don't worry about it. I'm fine."
Concern apparently appeased, Bella smiled and stood up. "If you say so. Promise me you'll let me know if anything wrong actually happens, yes?" She extended a hand to her best friend.
The wolf accepted the hand with his left while placing the right over his heart. In mock fealty he recited, "I, Jacob Black, hereby pledge to inform Isabella Swan of any shadow that should pass over my mind or heart here, now, or, ever."
"That's more like it," the girl replied haughtily, playing along. "That's how all of our proceedings should go from now on; you agreeing with everything I have to say or demand."
Jacob laughed, even without the obsession, she was still his best friend, thankfully that hadn't changed. Still playing, he bowed his head, "For you, anything, my lady. Speaking of which, when are you due to dodge out on me for that dinner date?" He laughed out loud at what he thought as a clever alliteration.
As if she thought about it for the first time, forgetful as she was it probably could have been, Bella checked the time. "Oh no! Oh no no no no!" She exclaimed. "Edward's supposed to be here any minute! Crap!"
Unaware of the fact Jacob raised his hackles at the name of the vampire, but not out of jealousy or anger as per usual, but defensively almost protectively. What the hell? "I suppose I should probably go then. Have fun."
"Oh Jake, I'm so sorry. Time always seems to just disappear when you're over," she pulled him into a hug. "Seriously though, talk to me if you need to. About anything."
Returning the hug he inwardly frowned at the lack of excitement he usually felt in such close proximity to Bella. "Of course, Bells. Have fun." He pulled out of her embrace and made for the door. "Really, have a nice night. Bye." The wolf waved over his shoulder as he walked out.
As Jacob shut the door his senses were assaulted by the familiar stench of his used-to-be-but-sort-of-still-is-but-not-for-the-same-reason-nemesis. He made his way through the living room, greeting then dismissing himself to Charlie, who was watching the news. The scent only got stronger as he made his way to the back door, and it should bother him more than it did, but it didn't. He reached the door and paused, hand on handle. The shifter took a deep breath and stepped through the portal to a throat full of a disgustingly wonderful smell, a breathtaking sight (both natural and unnatural,) and a lot of self-realization, followed immediately by a lot of self loathing and self preservation.
Walking out of the Swan's house, Jacob was met with the light of the sun in his eyes as it was getting ready to set beyond the tree line. Of course, the light of the setting orb was anything by means of dazzling compared to the male leaning against his silver Volvo. It was then he realized what had really been going on in the past twenty four hours. He set his brain to hibernate, and just ran.
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