First and Foremost - NC17 - Chloe/Jacob - Chapter 6/8
Title: First and Foremost
Category: Smallville/Twilight Saga
Genre: Romance
Ship: Chloe/Jacob
Rating: T
Prompt: #17 - Together
Word Count: 3,821
Summary: Chloe just went a little Buffy Summers and after finding herself in Werewolf Country, she meets a certain shape shifter out to help her change her life and hopefully be a part of it.
Previous: Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III, Chapter IV, Chapter V,
First and Foremost
VI.
This was his favorite part; where they ran in fear, thinking their feet would get them anywhere moderately safe from his far-reaching abilities. He savored the sound of her hammering heartbeat, laughed as she nearly tripped over a log. He could smell the sweat that broke out on her skin and hear the blood rushing through her veins. She would be delectable. The adrenaline would only add to her flavor; it’s why the age-old scolding of ‘don’t play with one’s food’ didn’t apply to him or his kind.
She must be getting weak; she’d been running for ages. Leaping over fallen branches, hands swiping at hanging foliage like insufferable insects out to ruin her escape. He’d caught her just outside the forest, meandering around like a careless human was oft to do. She chattered away on her cell phone, popping gum between her teeth, unaware of how his gaze stuck to her. Blonde. He liked blondes. With deep green eyes that were far more piercing than the rest of her. She reeked of wolf; a male’s scent lingered around her skin so close he had to assume she was lying down with one. It only made the hunt sweeter.
He’d crept closer, head tilted, eyes darkening with the desire to break her neck and suckle the red spray that escaped her tender skin. She backed up, cowering like a mouse, and then she ran for the forest behind her, hoping to keep herself safe from him. And he followed, leaping from tree branch to tree branch, watching her as she struggled to find safety, her head moving this way and that. She must’ve been a runner at some time; she was agile, hardly losing her footing, and had he been human he might not have caught up.
She came to a sudden stop in the middle of a clearing, bent over, hands on her knees, desperately dragging in air. He grinned in the safe darkness of trees that covered him high above. She thought she was safe; free of the monster after her. He laughed mockingly, jumped from his perch and landed perfectly balanced before her. She turned around abruptly, emerald eyes staring up at him, her shoulders still heaving with the effort to breathe.
“Stupid human,” he spat scathingly. “There’s a reason you’re low on the food chain… Can’t figure out when you’re beat.”
Suddenly, she smirked, and any trace of fear he might have read before vanished. She stood up, her shoulders falling straight and her heart slowed its rhythm, calming. “Stupid vampire,” she replied. “You should get directions next time… La Push is mosquito free and the wildlife doesn’t appreciate visitors.”
So involved with her he hadn’t even scented them on the air. Five wolves stepped into view, flanking her, snarling and snapping at him.
“Bon appétit,” she declared before turning her back on him.
And the wolves attacked without mercy.
…
Stepping out of the shower, nude and still dripping, Jacob rubbed a towel against his soaking hair. “I still don’t like you playing bait,” he sighed.
Laying her book down against her chest, she cocked a brow. “So I’ve heard… It’s only until I can work out the kinks in my weapons and get that shipment Oliver promised to send my way. Besides, blood suckers are too arrogant to see past the visage. As long as I look unsuspecting, they always fall for it.”
Crawling across the bed, he laid his wet face against her stomach. “And if one of them finally figures it out?”
“Then I take off his head,” she said simply, her hands stroking through his damp hair and down his warm neck.
He frowned. “I still don’t see why Seth can’t flank you.”
She exhaled lightly, tugging on his ear with affection. “Because they’ll smell him.”
“It’s not like they can miss my scent on you. They already know you run with wolves,” he argued. “The second they spot you, they’re going to smell me all over you.”
“Mmm.” She rolled him over, her book falling to the wayside as she straddled his hips. “All over?”
He tried to suppress a grin and failed. “I’m being serious.”
She grinned, rocking her hips against him. “So am I.”
He lifted a brow. “No, you’re being naughty.”
Stroking her hands down his chest, she wondered, “Can’t I be seriously naughty?”
He smirked, shaking his head. “Can we focus, please?”
Ducking her head, she buried it in his shoulder and nibbled his neck. “I can multi-task.”
As her hands fell between his legs, gripping him tight, he groaned. “I’m aware.” Taking her shoulders into his hands, he stopped her and tried to get his head on straight. “Listen… I want someone close enough that when you’re out there, I know you’re safe.”
Licking her lips, she sat up, biting her lip. They’d been having this argument, or something similar to it, for the last two years. She knew he was right but all the same, she didn’t like feeling like the lesser of the pack. While she wasn’t a werewolf, she could hold her own against a vampire. And right now, while her weapons were being tuned, she was still pulling her weight. “If any wolf is nearby, he’s going to smell them. The whole point of this is to lead these vampires straight to you. They have to stay focused on me so they don’t notice you until it’s too late…”
“So we mask Seth’s scent,” he suggested stubbornly.
Frowning, she nodded her head. “Okay… Tomorrow, we’ll try a few things and if you guys can’t find him with your super-snouts then we let him closer… But only if there’s no chance of him being found out.”
“He’s a wolf, Chlo. He can handle himself.”
Pursing her lips, she reached forward and pinned his shoulders down against the bed. “I’m not and so can I,” she reminded.
Reaching between them, he cupped her face. “Is it so wrong for me to want you to be safe?”
“No.” Wrapping her hand around his wrist, her thumb stroked his pulse. “But I told you when we got together that I have to be all in.”
“And you are.”
She nodded. “Until you get worried.”
He growled darkly, his brows laying heavy over his black eyes; anybody else might’ve found him menacing. “If any of them ever touched you…”
Leaning forward she pressed her forehead to his and ran her fingers through his hair soothingly. “That won’t happen.”
“How can you be sure?”
She grinned gently. “I’m invincible.”
He rolled his eyes. “That’s not what the doc said when he had to patch up your rib injury.”
“Okay, so I’m not impenetrable… but you’ll notice I’m still very much alive,” she quipped, smiling.
Tucking her hair behind her ears, he nodded. “And I just want you to stay that way.”
“I will,” she promised. With a slow grin, she leaned back. “Now, the serious talk is over and we can get back to the steamy sex!” With that, she tugged her top up and off, tossing it to the floor carelessly.
Laughing, he reached for her and before she could react, he had her flat on her back with him lying contently between her thighs. “Yes, ma’am.”
Chuckling, she nuzzled his nose with hers. “Good boy.”
…
This was her favorite spot, well out side of the cabin anyway. Inside, it was toss up between the arm chair and the floor in front of the fire… Then again, the bed wasn’t her least favorite spot to be. And they’d had their fair share of good times in the bathtub. In any case, she loved the porch swing. She could spend whole afternoons lying cuddled up against Jake’s chest, listening to his heartbeat and the calming sounds of the forest all around her, which was what they were doing today.
With no vampire activity to worry about, she bundled up in a warm wool wrap and with two cups of steaming coffee they set themselves up on the swing. He was wearing some flimsy excuse for a t-shirt, to which she often shook her head at. He didn’t need much clothing since he had his own built in heater via his wolf genes and it wasn’t like she was complaining that she often got to see him running around half-naked, but the fact that she had to wear extra thick sweaters while he walked around like it was the Bahamas wasn’t easily ignored.
There were birds cooing nearby; a nest of them had set up so close to the cabin she often woke up to them. As light spilled through the window just overhanging the bed, she’d hear their morning song while still wrapped close in Jacob’s arms. Despite the chill, she couldn’t remember the last time she wore clothing to bed. She always ended up buck naked and entwined with him, and really, she was never cold. While the new born babies chirped back and forth and after their parents that scavenged for food, she lazily listened to them while caught somewhere between asleep and awake, lulled by Jake’s fingers drawing shapes on her back. How he managed that even when he was asleep, she didn’t know, but it never failed to bring her complete peace.
He was doing so now; fingers skating overtop her wrap, rubbing her back in soothing circles. He’d taken the day off from work, closing up shop and promising to get right back to it the next day, full throttle. The cars could wait, she figured. He deserved a break. As alpha for his pack and head mechanic for both La Push and Forks, he had his hands full. She was crap with cars, even after he tried many times to show her what he was doing under all those hoods. There was something about Jacob wearing engine grease and that bright grin of accomplishment that always made her hot for him though and often what started as a lesson in cars ended in dirty sex on the shop floor. She was pretty sure his dad Billy wouldn’t be showing up unannounced ever again, not after finding them going at it on top of a corvette. The fact that she could even look him in the eye anymore amazed her; but he had a warm humor to him that made her feel less like the skank he walked in on doing his son and more like the quirky daughter-in-law he often referred to her as. Seeing as she and Jacob weren’t married, that often left people wondering why she had no ring on her finger when they not-so-subtly looked. And in some cases, wondering why they weren’t invited to the wedding.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to marry him; it was more than he hadn’t yet asked. With everything going on, she wasn’t even sure a wedding was the best idea. And her past experiences with weddings weren’t exactly comforting. However, when she really let herself think about it, it didn’t scare her. Marrying him would just be another piece in their puzzle; their life was full of mystery and adventure and it hardly ever slowed down. Every day she silently thanked Lois for sending her back in the right direction; she couldn’t imagine how wrong her life would’ve been if she hadn’t come back. But now here she was and this was exactly how it was supposed to be.
And Buffy didn’t have anything on her.
Chloe didn’t have any special gifts handed down slayer to slayer. She had natural-born stamina that she put to the test all the time. Training with Jacob and the pack, she learned more tricks to take out the visiting vampires. Every once in awhile she’d get an idea for a new weapon that would help her and with schematics drawn up she called in Oliver’s promise to give her a hand whenever she needed. He supplied the goods and she took care of business. When she wasn’t hunting down trespassers, she worked in Jacob’s shop as an assistant. His book keeping needed a serious overhaul and he often overbooked himself, scheduling in more than he could handle at one time. In the last two years, his work was booming and getting more and more steady.
They were happy; she was happy. Unlike her work in the past, she didn’t feel like she was just biding her time. She enjoyed helping him out and she loved that at the end of the day, they were going home together. Whether it was to take out whatever solo or group act vamps were in the wrong place at the wrong time or simply sharing dinner and having smores in front of the fire. He did exactly what he promised; he made her feel like she mattered. With everything going on, she still felt like she stood center stage amongst chaos and his eyes were solely on her.
“You pick up the mail today?” she wondered, glancing up at him from where her head lay against his chest.
He nodded, fingers stroking through her hair. “Yeah, your cousin sent me a leash and said I should set up a doggy bed out back… Remind me again why she has to visit next week?”
She laughed. “Because I haven’t seen her in awhile and she couldn’t get down for Christmas…” She rubbed his chest as if to soothe his rancor. “Don’t worry… She teases out of love.”
He blinked at her. “She gave me a flea collar for my birthday.”
“Yes, but it’s the care she takes in those joke-gifts that tells you she actually remembers you exist…” Her eyes were wide with innocence.
He shook his head, snorting. “Fine… But if she tries to kick me out of bed to sleep on the couch, I’m taking her out into the woods and leaving her there to find her own way out.”
Chloe grinned. “Billy said she could stay at his house.”
He winced. “Yeah, that’s what I want, those two getting together… It’ll be Embarrass Jake week.”
“She’s only here for the weekend… and if you have a better place to put her, say so.” Before he could, she added, “That has a roof, doors, and indoor heating.”
His face fell.
“You were thinking of the dog house, weren’t you?” she said knowingly.
“She’d probably fit.”
She shook her head at him. “That thing is falling apart. It hasn’t had maintenance or a dog in over two decades.”
He pursed his lips. “I didn’t say it wouldn’t fall on her.”
Chuckling, she laid her head back down. “Your love is overwhelming.”
“Hey, I’m not the one sending rabies pamphlets.”
True. But her cousin’s humor was something of a comfort. In the first few months she’d stayed with Jake, she’d been slightly uncomfortable with the rest of the pack. She’d only met Embry and he’d made it pretty clear that they took care of their own. She understood that they only wanted the best for their leader and so did she. So while she was on the outside, she only had Jacob and Lois to keep her company. Via email and the occasional letter, her cousin kept her in high spirits, reminding her that while the others weren’t exactly welcoming her with open arms, they would eventually. She just had to show that she only wanted her and Jake to be happy, together. Which was why after a few months, she slowly began to crack their resistance.
Leah didn’t always like her, which was fine because she didn’t always like Leah. She was like the older sister who always thought she knew better and didn’t like to argued with. And Chloe was the younger sister who didn’t mind voicing her opinion whether anyone wanted to hear it or not. So they had their differences, but in the end she would trust Leah with her life and vice versa.
Seth was much easier to get along with than his sister; he was happy and friendly, often looking up to Jacob like a little brother might. The youngest of the pack, she sometimes found herself doting on him, which he often looked frustrated with. But they all knew he liked it, sometimes going out of his way to hang around her if only because he liked that she paid so much attention and affection to him.
Quil was more suspicious of her than the rest, which she understood when she learned of his history. He took the pack very seriously; this was his true family and he didn’t want anything to harm it. But as soon as he realized that she was only there because she cared so much about Jacob, he began to let her in. A few years younger than her, he still had the young humor about him that youth afforded. But he’d seen and been through enough that she knew he wasn’t as lighthearted as he acted. She was proud the day he told her she was his sister; that pack or not, werewolf or not, she was his family too.
She liked Embry best. There was something about his rather shy and quiet demeanor that got to her. When he began to show his true nature, she found he was quirky and rather goofy. He loved movies and outside of werewolf activities, he worked at the theatre part-time. He often showed up to tell her about the latest flick and when they had time, he’d convince her to go along. They had a rather odd friendship to others, however, as they teased each other mercilessly. He’d never stopped calling her Buffy and she often picked on him for his lack of clothing. It was just their thing.
“I could put insulation into the shed,” he mused.
Chloe laughed. “We are not sticking my cousin in the shed!”
He scowled. “Fine...”
“Don’t worry…” She looked up at him. “If she hurts your feelings, I’ll make you feel better.”
He cocked a brow. “Yeah?”
She grinned. “Yes.”
“I’m feeling pretty down right now.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah... Wanna kiss me better?”
Sitting up, she tipped her head thoughtfully. “It could take awhile.”
“I’ve got all the time you need.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “This is going to be a very busy weekend.”
Chuckling, he kissed her while simultaneously lifting her up into his arms and carrying her inside the house. It wouldn’t be long before any irritation over Lois was long gone, not that it would impede their play any.
…
He was fidgeting.
She didn’t know why, but he’d been pacing all over the place and muttering under his breath. Watching him as he went, she sat curled in the armchair, a throw tossed across her lap.
“Are you still agitated about Lois?” she wondered, lifting a brow. “Because we’ve got another two days before she arrives and you’re about to wear a hole in the floor.”
He stopped suddenly, turned to look at her, and for a moment she was dazzled. The firelight lit him up so ethereally she felt like she was staring at perfection. Russet skin was offset by licking flames and the angles and plains of his face were shaped by dark shadows. She licked her lips. Moments like this she wanted to tear of his clothes and lay him out on the floor to tease and enjoy without mercy. In fact, if he didn’t tell her what was wrong, she was going to cross the floor, drop to her knees, and wipe that expression right off his face.
“I love you,” he told her, his voice so deep, so intense.
She half-smiled. “I love you too.”
Her heart still skipped a beat after two years but she never doubted his feelings for her. Things may have started out rather confusing, with her leaving and him not knowing if she’d ever come back. But since she returned, they’d been nothing but strong.
“Then marry me.”
She swallowed, blinked, and wondered if she’d heard him right.
“I know that this life isn’t exactly normal and I know imprinting wasn’t how you thought you’d meet your soul mate. But I love you and our life together and I want all of it for the rest of our lives…” Crossing the room, he knelt in front of her, taking her hands into his and holding them tight in her lap. “I want to protect La Push knowing that you’re here and that everything I do is for and with you. I want to grow old with you and have children with your green eyes… I want to be eating smores when I have dentures and suffering coffee withdrawal by your side.” He stared up at her searchingly. “Tell me you want that too.”
Smiling, she nodded, blinking furiously as tender tears tried to escape. “All of it,” she agreed, laughing warmly.
He grinned; that same stunning smile that continued to make butterflies swarm her stomach.
Gathering her in his arms, he hugged her close, kissing her neck and her ear and down her cheek before finally settling against her lips.
Burying her fingers in his hair, she moaned as he leaned her back against the chair, her legs wrapping around his waist. Parting from his mouth, she panted, “Is this what had you so worried?”
He nodded, already fingering the buttons of her top open.
“After everything, you really think I’d say no?” she asked, looking down at him gently.
He paused, breathing deeply. “This isn’t the kind of life people dream of.”
She understood what he meant; it wasn’t as if most people grew up thinking the ideal life involved vampire hunting and canine husbands. But then, she’d seen normal and she preferred it her way. She didn’t fit anywhere else; they could have their white picket fences and their mini-vans, because this girl was happy where she was. “Then I feel sorry for those people… because they have no idea what they’re missing out on.”
Sometimes, he looked at her like he couldn’t believe his luck and she felt that, right down into her gut. There were days when she could slap herself for ever thinking that just walking away from him and never seeing him again would be easy. And now he was telling her they wouldn’t ever have to explore that possibility. Ten minutes ago she was his live-in girlfriend of two years and now she was his fiancée. Maybe Fate really was out to make up for the past. If this was her reward for sticking to her guns through it all, then she supposed all her years of misfortunate were worth it. Whoever didn’t want this life, with its werewolf husband and vampire hunting included, could enjoy their white picket fence all they wanted. She had so much more and she wouldn’t give it up for anything.
[Next: Chapter VII.]