It Don't Mean a Thing - Ch.5. Bella gives Jacob a hair cut.
Title: It Don’t Mean a Thing Ch.5 A Hair Cut
Author: clara-eloise
Rating: K
Summary: Jacob takes Bella swing dancing. Edward is the instructor. A struggle for her affection begins that could start a war. Eventual Bella/Jacob.
Validation Beta: likexaxdove
Genre: Romance/Drama
Status: work in progress
Type: Multi Chapter
A/N we’re still wading around in the back-story for the next few chapters. Bear with me!
“You think it’s easy to tattoo a wolf?” Jacob grins at her, raising an eyebrow. “Our skin is super-thick, super-tough, Bella.” He flexes an arm, showing off shimmering brown skin and hard muscle.
“I just don’t see why you have to do it. Haven’t you been through enough?” Bella remembers the night he phased, and the panic and confusion in the aftermath. It had taken weeks for him to accept what was happening to him. That monsters were real. That being a Quileute meant having some crazy magical DNA that would dictate that he would never be normal again. Her heart ached for the sunny smiling boy she used to fix trucks with.
Jake shrugs. “It’s part of the process, I suppose. Billy says it’s symbolic - becoming one of the Pack. Just happens to be a slight problem that the needle has to be ten times the size of a normal one. My luck, I guess.”
“And the hair?” Bella looks longingly at the waterfall of brown glossy hair that falls onto Jake’s shoulders. “You’ll be changed.”
Jake’s eyes look wounded, and his reply is husky. “I’ll still be me, Bella. And the hair I’ll be glad to see the back of. It’s too hot, for one. I don’t think this is something I can run away from any more.” He gives her a knowing glance. It was something they had spoken about, running away - heading for California and driving down the coast. Bella knew, though, that Jake could not run away from himself. The wolf would follow him even then. He’d be worried sick about phasing in the truck with her, or near her at night. It still worried him - how he could be friends with her and not hurt her.
Bella stands and looks up at him. “Let me see, then. Sit down where I can get to you. I’ll fetch a pair of scissors.” And Jake, even though he knows it should really be one of the elders doing this job, finds her a pair of sharp scissors and lets her tie a tea towel around his neck.
Bella is no hairdresser. But somehow for both of them the thought that it is Bella making this change soothes them. Even if she mucks it up and leaves him looking like a scarecrow.
She watches him from all angles, then carefully begins the first cut, close to the nape of his neck. She briefly thinks of Samson and Delilah. Smiles. Then brings around the fistful of hair to Jake and puts it on his lap. Silently, he accepts it, leans back in the chair and sighs a little.
Bella can’t help it. She runs her fingers through his cut locks, scratching his scalp until he moans at the touch. Tries to figure out where to cut next, like it’s a lump of granite she has to shape into a statue. She starts with the sides, shapes above the ears - not taking off too much. Charlie has a hair trimmer somewhere she can use later to make it even. Then uses a wet comb to shape the back so it’s short but not ridiculous. Trims like she has seen hairdressers do. Doesn’t really know what she’s doing, but tries to feel her way nonetheless.
Jake has goose-bumps on his neck. He feels Bella’s deft little fingers snipping here and there, and it’s like he’s pinned to the spot. She barely touches the hair at the nape of his neck and it sends shivers down his spine. He can feel his hair fluttering down from his shoulders to the floor - black as his name. The old Jacob being shorn away. Then she gets Charlie’s hair trimmer and a delicious zzzzz hums around his head. He closes his eyes and imagines a summer day with bees hovering on blooms, his hand entwined with Bella’s as the sun beats down on him. Just when he thinks she must be finished, he hears a little sigh and then she’s massaging his head. She has quick nimble fingers pressing at his skull. It doesn’t seem right to point out to her how thick his skull is - how inhuman he is now. It’s not like he’ll ever get a pressure headache again. And yet his skin still feels human, because her touch is setting him alight, sending shudders down his body. He lets out a low growl in his throat before he can help it and she lets her hands drop. Darn.
Bella is flushed, uncertain. She gives him a wooden hand mirror to look in. Jake sees a stranger. Oh, it’s Me. His features have become more defined. He looks harder; older. She’s managed to leave the front long enough to look a bit punk. The sides nicely shaved in.
“That’s awesome, Bells,” Jacob cries, jumping up and hugging her small frame, tea towel and black hair flying wildly around the living room.
“Are you sure you like it?” Bella is uncertain, caught up in his embrace. “I don’t want the tribe to come hunt me down.” He’s so warm and strong that Bella nearly gasps.
The thought of anyone hunting Bella down momentarily makes Jake’s jaw tighten. Any threat to Bella…any possibility that the tribe would try to separate them…but they wouldn’t, surely? An imprint was an imprint, even if it was with a very white, very pale girl from Arizona.
“I love it, Bella.”
I love you. I love you. He ignores the inner monologue. There are so many things he wishes he could say to his best friend. I love you. I want you. And not just because I imprinted on you. Well before then.
“Will they be mad at me for cutting your hair before the ceremony?”
“Nah…it’ll be a bunch of stories around the campfire and then about three hours of old Quil stabbing me about a thousand times with a needle and getting ink to sink into my dermis. You should come, it’ll be awesome.”
Bella winces. “I hate to think of you being in pain. They already know you are not going to walk away from this. It’s a bit cultish, this tribal badge.” Part of her, though she won’t admit it, feels like they will be taking Jacob away from her, making her one of them. She won’t really analyze why she hates this so much.
“Come, Bella. For me. I need you there.” Jacob holds both her hands and looks into her eyes.
She nods, hugs him. She’s come this far with him along this crazy road. Why stop now?
Author: clara-eloise
Rating: K
Summary: Jacob takes Bella swing dancing. Edward is the instructor. A struggle for her affection begins that could start a war. Eventual Bella/Jacob.
Validation Beta: likexaxdove
Genre: Romance/Drama
Status: work in progress
Type: Multi Chapter
A/N we’re still wading around in the back-story for the next few chapters. Bear with me!
“You think it’s easy to tattoo a wolf?” Jacob grins at her, raising an eyebrow. “Our skin is super-thick, super-tough, Bella.” He flexes an arm, showing off shimmering brown skin and hard muscle.
“I just don’t see why you have to do it. Haven’t you been through enough?” Bella remembers the night he phased, and the panic and confusion in the aftermath. It had taken weeks for him to accept what was happening to him. That monsters were real. That being a Quileute meant having some crazy magical DNA that would dictate that he would never be normal again. Her heart ached for the sunny smiling boy she used to fix trucks with.
Jake shrugs. “It’s part of the process, I suppose. Billy says it’s symbolic - becoming one of the Pack. Just happens to be a slight problem that the needle has to be ten times the size of a normal one. My luck, I guess.”
“And the hair?” Bella looks longingly at the waterfall of brown glossy hair that falls onto Jake’s shoulders. “You’ll be changed.”
Jake’s eyes look wounded, and his reply is husky. “I’ll still be me, Bella. And the hair I’ll be glad to see the back of. It’s too hot, for one. I don’t think this is something I can run away from any more.” He gives her a knowing glance. It was something they had spoken about, running away - heading for California and driving down the coast. Bella knew, though, that Jake could not run away from himself. The wolf would follow him even then. He’d be worried sick about phasing in the truck with her, or near her at night. It still worried him - how he could be friends with her and not hurt her.
Bella stands and looks up at him. “Let me see, then. Sit down where I can get to you. I’ll fetch a pair of scissors.” And Jake, even though he knows it should really be one of the elders doing this job, finds her a pair of sharp scissors and lets her tie a tea towel around his neck.
Bella is no hairdresser. But somehow for both of them the thought that it is Bella making this change soothes them. Even if she mucks it up and leaves him looking like a scarecrow.
She watches him from all angles, then carefully begins the first cut, close to the nape of his neck. She briefly thinks of Samson and Delilah. Smiles. Then brings around the fistful of hair to Jake and puts it on his lap. Silently, he accepts it, leans back in the chair and sighs a little.
Bella can’t help it. She runs her fingers through his cut locks, scratching his scalp until he moans at the touch. Tries to figure out where to cut next, like it’s a lump of granite she has to shape into a statue. She starts with the sides, shapes above the ears - not taking off too much. Charlie has a hair trimmer somewhere she can use later to make it even. Then uses a wet comb to shape the back so it’s short but not ridiculous. Trims like she has seen hairdressers do. Doesn’t really know what she’s doing, but tries to feel her way nonetheless.
Jake has goose-bumps on his neck. He feels Bella’s deft little fingers snipping here and there, and it’s like he’s pinned to the spot. She barely touches the hair at the nape of his neck and it sends shivers down his spine. He can feel his hair fluttering down from his shoulders to the floor - black as his name. The old Jacob being shorn away. Then she gets Charlie’s hair trimmer and a delicious zzzzz hums around his head. He closes his eyes and imagines a summer day with bees hovering on blooms, his hand entwined with Bella’s as the sun beats down on him. Just when he thinks she must be finished, he hears a little sigh and then she’s massaging his head. She has quick nimble fingers pressing at his skull. It doesn’t seem right to point out to her how thick his skull is - how inhuman he is now. It’s not like he’ll ever get a pressure headache again. And yet his skin still feels human, because her touch is setting him alight, sending shudders down his body. He lets out a low growl in his throat before he can help it and she lets her hands drop. Darn.
Bella is flushed, uncertain. She gives him a wooden hand mirror to look in. Jake sees a stranger. Oh, it’s Me. His features have become more defined. He looks harder; older. She’s managed to leave the front long enough to look a bit punk. The sides nicely shaved in.
“That’s awesome, Bells,” Jacob cries, jumping up and hugging her small frame, tea towel and black hair flying wildly around the living room.
“Are you sure you like it?” Bella is uncertain, caught up in his embrace. “I don’t want the tribe to come hunt me down.” He’s so warm and strong that Bella nearly gasps.
The thought of anyone hunting Bella down momentarily makes Jake’s jaw tighten. Any threat to Bella…any possibility that the tribe would try to separate them…but they wouldn’t, surely? An imprint was an imprint, even if it was with a very white, very pale girl from Arizona.
“I love it, Bella.”
I love you. I love you. He ignores the inner monologue. There are so many things he wishes he could say to his best friend. I love you. I want you. And not just because I imprinted on you. Well before then.
“Will they be mad at me for cutting your hair before the ceremony?”
“Nah…it’ll be a bunch of stories around the campfire and then about three hours of old Quil stabbing me about a thousand times with a needle and getting ink to sink into my dermis. You should come, it’ll be awesome.”
Bella winces. “I hate to think of you being in pain. They already know you are not going to walk away from this. It’s a bit cultish, this tribal badge.” Part of her, though she won’t admit it, feels like they will be taking Jacob away from her, making her one of them. She won’t really analyze why she hates this so much.
“Come, Bella. For me. I need you there.” Jacob holds both her hands and looks into her eyes.
She nods, hugs him. She’s come this far with him along this crazy road. Why stop now?