Moonlight in Forks
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
A Nightmare and An Unexpected Proposal
"How much do you love me, Bella?"
Edward stared at her with pleading eyes, his long black eyebrows slanting up in the middle and pulling together, his lips trembling at the corners. It was a heartbreaking expression.
"Please, please, please." He whispered. "Please, Bella, please-if you really love me…"
His gaze was intent on Bella's face as she struggled to find the will to step away from him. She found herself staring into eyes for a long minute. There was no sign of compromise, no hint of indecision in them.
"Please let me go." She finally whispered, hopeless. "Its all I want. Please." She closed her eyes in defeat, waiting for the quick and final no.
"Bells, honey, wake up. Its me. Its Jacob."
As she woke up with a gasp from the nightmare, it took her a moment to realize that she was in her own bed, safe from the terrifying creature of her dreams. She glanced up blearily to find Jacob's warm brown eyes looking down at her in concern.
"You were having a nightmare."
"I was?"
Bella felt disorientated and confused, as her brain struggled to make sense of the sudden shift from the dream world to reality. The intense emotions and sensations she felt during the nightmare made it difficult to distinguish between what was real and what was not. She found herself reaching out to Jacob, gripping his hand tightly between her own, just to make sure he was real.
"Hey, its okay." Jacob pulled her close, the warmth from his body infusing hers, calming her racing heart, until eventually she was able to breathe normally. "Do you want to tell me what it was about?"
Bella pressed her cheek against his chest, closing her eyes in blessed relief that Jacob was there, holding her, keeping her safe. She didn't want to bring up Edward's name and spoil the tender moment.
"I can't really remember. Its fading now."
Jacob gazed down at her, uncertainty in his eyes. He knew her well enough to know that she was hiding something. Her flushed cheeks gave her away. "Whatever it is, honey, you can tell me. I won't be mad."
"Please?" Bella whispered, her heartbeat picking up speed again. Her words tumbled out as she finally admitted who had been haunting her dreams of late. "Its always the same. I'm trapped in a room with him, there are no windows or doors. He's pleading with me over and over…."
"Pleading with you?" Jacob echoed. "What about?" His arms tightened around her, his lips were at her ear, his warm breath soothing her frazzled nerves.
"I just don't know." Bella admitted truthfully. "I always seem to wake up around that part."
"He can't get to you, Bells. I promise." Jacob's lips moved across her face, until they reached her lips. Her heart, racing already, spluttered frantically.
She twisted in his arms, intensifying the kiss. Jacob's hands seized her face, his mouth was not gentle, as if he was trying to erase all traces of the nightmare from her mind, and brand her as his own. Bella locked her arms around his neck, returning kiss for kiss. Her suddenly overheated skin made her tremble with desire.
Jacob didn't stop kissing her. She was the first to break away, gasping for air. Even then his lips did not leave her skin, they just moved to the nape of her neck. The thrill of his touch sent electric shocks through her, giving her a strange high, it made her feel powerful. Brave. She loved the idea that she could provoke these reactions out of him.
Bella's fingers traced the perfect planes of his chest. He was so beautiful. Unbearably so.
Jacob pulled her mouth back to his with a sense of urgency. One of his hands still cupped her face, his other arm tight around her waist, straining her closer. She moaned into his mouth, her fingers finding their way into his hair, she tugged on he ends in her desperation, driven to distraction by the way he was making her feel.
Soon the nightmare and Edward were banished completely from her mind as she lay, skin on skin, losing herself so completely in Jacob that nothing else mattered.
"I am committed to you one hundred percent." Bella declared.
Jacob's arms were wrapped around her tightly. He began kissing her again in a way that should be illegal.
"Its just Sam. He's worried that's all." Jacob said between kisses.
Bella tried to keep a clear head…and failed quickly, absolutely. "What were we talking about again?" She murmured against his lips.
"Love. Commitment. Future. Marriage. Kids." Jacob punctuated each word with a resounding kiss.
"We should really talk about this properly." Bella gasped when he let her breathe. "With you kissing me like this I can't think straight."
Jacob smirked, his dark eyes lighting up with mirth. "So, if I say, proposed to you right now. You would be so distracted by my intoxicating kisses; you would say yes."
"I think that's a really bad idea."
"I'm not surprised you feel that way." Jacob pressed another warm kiss against her sensitive collarbone, making her melt. "But maybe I can change your mind."
He ran his warm fingers down her spine, spinning them around so Bella was lying on top of him. His mouth found hers and he deepened the kiss. It was too persuasive-it was duress, coercion.
"That's not fair, Jake. You have a one-track mind."
"Uh huh!" Jacob pulled away to look at her. His expression was entertained. He was having fun teasing her. "I would marry you in an instant if you asked me."
Bella gave him a mock glare, trying to ignore the way his sunny smile made her heart race.
"We're too young. You're not even legal yet."
"I will be soon." He pressed. "I mean we could just get engaged – "
"Ew! Please don't say that out loud."
Jacob's smile turned blinding. "Why not?"
Bella groaned again. "You're not really serious."
"Aren't I?" Jacob kissed her again before she could answer. Another too persuasive kiss. "You love me. I love you."
"Yes." Bella mumbled, melting against his heated chest.
"We could have a long engagement." Jacob kissed her another time. "Do you get the feeling everything is backward?" He rolled them over again so he was on top, carefully resting his weight on his elbows as he gazed down at her with a soft expression. "Traditionally, shouldn't you be arguing my side, and I yours?"
"There is nothing traditional about us."
"True."
Jacob kissed her again, and kept going until her heart was racing and her skin flushed. He left her gasping again.
"Is it really that important to you?" She asked breathlessly, she pulled his face up so she could see his expression.
"What Sam said got me thinking." Jacob admitted. "I love you so much. I know its ridiculous. And you're right…we are too young. Charlie would freak…"
"And Renee." Bella cut in gloomily.
"Yes, and Renee." Jacob laughed. "Not to mention my dad."
"And everyone else."
"Oh, yes."
"They'd probably think I'm pregnant or something."
Jacob instinctively touched her flat abdomen. "We should really talk about that, too."
"Not tonight." Bella said, she pulled his hand up and turning it over, she placed a gentle kiss on his palm.
"Okay." Jacob's eyes were wary as they flashed across her face, then he quickly ducked down to press his lips on her collarbone, in that special place that always made her tremble.
"You're really good at that." Bella sighed blissfully. "I could do this for the rest of my life."
Jacob's head popped up again as he stared deeply into her eyes. "You mean that?"
Bella looked at him through liquid eyes. "Of course."
"Then?" Jacob hedged.
"You really want this-to get engaged I mean?"
"Yes." Jacob replied earnestly. "I do."
Bella looked into his eyes for a long time, she couldn't doubt his sincerity. He really seemed to need this visual sign of their commitment to one another. What Sam had said had really gotten to him.
Was it such a bad thing? Getting engaged didn't mean they had to get married anytime soon. People had long engagements all the time. If it really, honestly meant that much to him…
"I can't believe I'm going along with this. When I think of Charlie….and Renee! Can you imagine what my friends will think? Angela? Jessica? Ugh, I can hear the gossip now."
Jacob chuckled at her complaining. His heart leapt with joy as happiness surged through him. He rained kisses on her face, making Bella laugh despite herself.
"You are an idiot."
"A lovable idiot." Jacob corrected her. "I suppose you don't want the ring now."
Bella narrowed her eyes at him. "You suppose correctly."
Jacob laughed again. "Good, because I don't have one. Unless you want the ring pull from that soda can?" He pointed to the empty can sitting innocently next to her laptop on the desk.
Bella considered this for a moment. "Actually, that's not a bad idea."
Jacob grinned. He grabbed her left hand, pulling her off the bed with him. Grabbing the can, he snapped off the ring pull, before bending down on one knee.
"Get up!" Bella hissed.
"Nope!" Jacob was enjoying her discomfiture. "I want to do this right."
"Oh no!"
Jacob took a deep breath. "Bella Marie Swan, you are the love of my life." He looked up at her from under his impossibly thick lashes, his dark brown eyes filled with adoration. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wolf girl?"
Bella snickered. "I thought I already was."
Jacob smiled again. "Will you marry me?"
There were so many things Bella wanted to say, some of them teasing, and others more disgustingly gooey and romantic. She had been swept away by this unexpected proposal despite her misgivings. Rather than embarrass herself with another jokey comment, she simply said. "Yes."
"I love you, Bella, honey." Jacob slipped the ring pull onto the ring finger of her left hand, before rising swiftly to his feet, and pulling her into arms, swinging her around in delight.
A/N-thanks for reading!