A/N

Here's challenge 7. As always, I don't own Twilight, but I enjoy the loan.

Warning - this chapter is still fluffy, but it's going to more than earn the overall story's M rating.

Challenge #7 – Valentine's Loos

Date Posted: 03/04/2013

Fandom: Twilight

Rating: M

Genre: Canon

Content Descriptors: Mostly Fluff

Character Pairing: Leah/ Nahuel

Leah's POV

I wasn't born a bitter harpy. There was a time I didn't feel the need to make those around me just as miserable as I was.

I usually thought of my life as pre-Sam and after-the0fall. Before Sam, I was a pretty normal person. When Sam left me for Emily, my whole world shifted. A giant crater was carved into my chest, and I thought nothing could ever fix it.

My world shifted again the day I met Nahuel. I looked into his dark brown eyes and everything changed. He became the gravity that held me to the Earth, my reason for living, even though he was a half-vampire, and by all rights, I shouldhave hated him.

Far from him regarding me as an enemy, it seemed almost as if the imprint went both ways because all he wanted was to make me happy. When I requested space to adjust, though it visibly hurt him to be away from me, he willingly gave it because it was what I needed.

However, the pull of the imprint wasn't going to let me resist him forever. Eventually, we formed a friendship that later blossomed into love. At Jake and Nessie's wedding, I gave Nahuel a promise bracelet with a pledge to stop pushing him away and see where things went.

I wasn't entirely sure whether we were really dating anymore or had moved in together. Most of our nights were spent together talking, and Nahuel said he slept best if he was next to me. I liked the way he felt and the way he smelled, so I allowed it. Most of his stuff had now been moved to my room since it was more convenient.

Tonight was going to be interesting. Because it was Valentine's Day, we had arranged a formal date. He wouldn't tell me where we were going or what we were doing, only that it was a surprise.

Getting ready for the night, I decided a hot bath was a good idea. I could relax instead of worrying about what was going to happen.

Just as the water began to turn tepid, I heard a knock at the door to my suite.

I swore under my breath. Nahuel was early.

"Leah?" Nahuel called from the door to my room.

"I'm in the bath. Come in and sit down while I get out."

I heard him come into the room, but then my jaw dropped open as he waltzed right into the bathroom without even a warning. My body clenched as I drank in the sight of him. His pants molded to every detail, leaving nothing to my imagination. The top few buttons of his shirt were still undone, with his hair braided back so I could see his rippling chest.

He wielded a gorgeous bouquet of lilies and orchids in front of him like a shield, and I remembered his first attempt at a peace offering. It hadn't gone well, and apparently, he was still half afraid of my reaction.

Seeing that I didn't immediately erupt in fury, he relaxed back against the door, grinning.

"Don't do that, the knob freezes," I warned just a little too late. My heart sank as I heard the door closing.

Horrified, Nahuel immediately reached out and began trying to open the door. It was no use. The doorknob was frozen and not budging a millimeter.

He turned to me, and said, "You or I could have this door down in a second, but I'm afraid it would cause irreparable damage. It wasn't my plan for the night, but I can't say I mind spending the time in here admiring the view."

I rolled my eyes. "Perhaps you ought to keep a handle on your hormones. Hand me that towel and I'll see what I can do."

While Nahuel continued to fidget with the door, I climbed out of the tub and wrapped myself in the towel he handed me.

I went to the door and ratted the doorknob a few times, hoping against everything that it would open. "My vote is to bust this door down, but that would probably bring down all sorts of drama about the centuries old architecture we'd destroyed. You wouldn't happen to have your phone with you, would you?"

Nahuel fished around in his pocket, then shook his head. "I have a surprise I was wanting to pull out later, but no phone."

"Unfortunately, my purse is out in the bedroom, so I don't have my phone either. I'm presuming someone is eventually going to come check and see why we're not wherever we were supposed to be, so we'll get rescued sometime this century." I sighed and sat down. "That just leaves us with what to do in the mean time."

"That looked nice, what you were doing before," Nahuel said.

"A bath? Surely you've had one."

He shook his head. "I've gone swimming, and I've had showers, but I've never just laid there like that and soaked.

I smiled. "We definitely need to fix that, then."

I drained the lukewarm water from the tub and refilled it with hot water. For good measure, I added some bubbles.

Looking back over my shoulder at him, I dropped my towel and plunged in. "So are you planning to join me?"

For all my clothes-shredding with phasing on the fly at the drop of a tantrum, Nahuel had never seen me naked. He was obviously distracted and trying to take in the view. I was flattered.

I chuckled. "The water's going to get cold if you wait much longer."

Nahuel got the idea and slid out of his clothes. He joined me in the water, claiming my mouth in a kiss as he got in.

"Hitsli li chichikola," I murmured which meant "make me yours" in Quileute.

"Lawiskal," Nahuel answered. "I will happily make you mine now, forever, and always."

I was stunned. Even while I decided how much of my life to share, this man was doing everything to make me happy. He'd even learned the Quileute language.

Our lips molded into one, tongues dancing frantically. My heart sped and threatened to pound its way out of my chest.

Nahuel's hands reached around and buried themselves in my hair. I moaned at the feeling of his fingers sliding through and gently tugging. I leaned even further into our kiss and pulled him closer to me.

I moaned into his mouth and let my own hands go wandering across his glorious landscape. Every curve fit perfectly into my hands, and each caress had me tingling from head to toe.

"Now I see why people like doing this so much."

"It can get even better," I murmured.

"Wait," he panted.

I silently groaned. Please don't let him be worried about stealing my virtue or some such nonsense.

He saw the disappointment in my eyes. "I have no intention of stopping you. However, earlier you made a pledge to me, and now I'd like to make one to you."

He leaned over the edge of the tub and pulled something from the pocket of his pants. I saw him open a small, square, velvet box and gasped at the ring inside.

"Leah, my love, will you marry me? I vow to stay by your side forever and always, no matter how much of a chase you lead me on first."

I could only stammer and nod. I was terrified of being abandoned again, but something about Nahuel made me think it might not happen this time. He'd stayed with me through all the turbulence of my reaction to the imprint, and he had been waiting with care and love at each step.

Nahuel slipped the ring on my finger and trailed kisses along my neck and shoulder as he let the box fall to the floor.

"I wouldn't want to presume, but it seemed like you had something in mind earlier."

"I did," I panted as his fingers dipped under the water and began to tease.

I showed him exactly what I had in mind as I wrapped my hand around him, bringing him to the edge.

Grinning, I paused. "Are you sure you're okay with my stealing your virtue?"

"What virtue, Leah? Until you, I never even knew I had a soul worth anything."

"You have virtue, somewhere, I'm sure. But patience and chastity aren't either of our strong points."

All conversation stopped as I hovered over him, ready to take the next step into our future.

"I love you, Nahuel."

"I love you too, Leah."

I shifted my hips so that he entered me. Gently at first, I rocked up and down as I got accustomed to the sensations crashing through my body. This wasn't my first time, but it had been so long it felt like it.

Nahuel reached a hand up to stroke the side of my face. "You okay?"

I nodded. "I'm very okay. It's just been awhile."

"Just let me know if you need me to slow down."

I chuckled and marveled at what that did to the way we were connected, "Slow down and I'll flatten you. This is perfect."

Nahuel grinned. "As you wish."

It might have been hours later, but eventually, we dozed off still wrapped around each other. When we woke up, the door had been taken off its hinges and a note was taped to it.

"You looked too peaceful to disturb. Congratulations." I read the note aloud to Nahuel, and he grinned.

"Well, that solves the problem of telling everyone. The whole castle probably knows by now."

"People gossip like old hens around here. They're probably already planning the wedding."

"I'm sure she's got some giant gown she's planning on stuffing you into. Somehow, I don't see that working out."

I grinned. "No, I don't see that working either. Would you be okay having the ceremony on First Beach, then you can take me to see your home for the honeymoon?"

Nahuel nodded. "We can check on some of my sisters, and I can introduce you to some of the people in my mother's tribe that I've been working with."

"That sounds wonderful. Do you think we could get it all put together in a month? I don't think I want to wait."

"We can manage that. I do think you should accept at least some help with shopping. There are some things I'd like to see you getting out of."

"Fine. But there is no way I'm wearing a gown bigger than I am. I'm not even sure if I want to wear white."

Nahuel's eyes took on a devious glint. "I've heard that some people don't wear anything to get married."

I shook my head. "There's no way I'm going down the aisle buck naked. But I was thinking maybe silver or gold instead of white."

"Whatever you choose will be beautiful. As long as you're there, and I get to keep you for the rest of time, I'll be happy."

Nahuel leaned down and claimed my lips in a searing kiss. We didn't talk for the next several minutes, as our bodies took over and prompted us to continue our activities from earlier.

Unfortunately, my stomach chose that moment to growl. I hadn't eaten since lunch.

"I had planned to take you to dinner in Milan," Nahuel said.

I put a finger over his lips. "Our Valentine's Day was perfect. Why don't we see what we can rustle up from the kitchen?"

Nahuel looked down at my still unclad state. "As enchanting as I find the view, perhaps you should find something before you go out."

I looked down and blushed. "Whoops. I'll be right back."

Once dressed, I went down and got us a tray from the kitchen. It was loaded with my favorites, steak and pasta and gelato.

Nahuel was waiting when I got back. He'd moved a small table and some pillows into the bathroom. He'd set the table with flowers from the bouquet he'd brought earlier.

"It's not the dinner I planned, but I hope you like it," he said.

I stopped his lips again. "As long as I'm with you, it's exactly what I want."

Breaking off the kiss, he chuckled. "I've never spent a Valentine's Day in a bathroom, but it made me happy to be with you."