First and Foremost - NC17 - Chloe/Jacob - Chapter 5/8
Title: First and Foremost
Category: Smallville/Twilight Saga
Genre: Romance
Ship: Chloe/Jacob
Rating: NC17
Prompt: #16 - Falling In Love Again
Word Count: 3,964
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,
First and Foremost
V.
Two months. It’d been two long months since he watched her drive away and didn’t do a thing to stop her. And now he was cursing his inaction every damn day. He thought he could handle it at first; he thought he’d be all right. Comforting himself with the fact that Fate wouldn’t have her drop in his life so briefly only to never bring her back, he was reassured that she’d return. And then a week passed and he felt like he’d been dragged through the woods with a noose around his neck.
The others noticed; it was hard not to. They expected to find her there, even wanted to sit down with the infamous vampire hunter and get to know her better. And he put them off awhile, but eventually, he had to admit that she was gone… and he didn’t know if she’d ever come back.
“You let her go?” Quil half-shouted.
“Kidnapping her didn’t sound like the smartest idea,” he replied bitterly as he chopped wood for the fireplace. Despite his natural warmth, he liked the added comfort of the fire. And if some nights he stared at it, remembering how she’d been lying there next to him, how she laughed, how she felt when he’d been inside her, then that was just a bonus.
Or a torture sentence, he wasn’t yet sure.
Quil paced, his brow furrowed as if he couldn’t wrap his mind around the situation. “What if she doesn’t come back?”
The axe sliced through the log a little more harshly and his arms flexed with anger, at himself and at his friend for pointing out what he so wanted to ignore. Shards of splintered wood flew all over while he simply tossed it to the side and picked up another chunk.
“Well… Maybe you were wrong. Maybe you didn’t really imprint…” Quil shrugged. “Did you eat anything funny that night?”
Jacob rolled his eyes, sighing. “You think I confused a stomach ache with imprinting?”
“No... I’m hoping you did. Otherwise, you just let your quasi-wife up and disappear on you… To who-the-fuck knows where!”
“You’re not helping,” he muttered scathingly before tossing the axe to the side.
“Maybe I’m not trying to… Maybe I’m hoping you’ll wake up and fix this…” Crossing his arms, he glared. “It’s been a month, Jake… You look like a reclusive mountain man and you’re taking it all out on the pack….”
His jaw flexed. “Then I’ll take a little time, give you guys a break while I get my head on straight.”
Quil paused, looking shocked. “You don’t want to be alpha anymore?”
“A real alpha wouldn’t let this affect anything, would he?” Running a hand through his hair roughly, he paced to and fro. “Tell Leah it’s up to her…”
“Jake…” He stared at him searchingly. “What are you doing, man?”
“Right now…” He laughed bitterly. “Mostly it just feels like I’m dying.”
Done with the conversation, he crossed back to his cabin and climbed the stairs, blocking out the whole situation.
Lately, it seemed like his appetite consisted only of smores and coffee… It wasn’t healthy and if he weren’t a werewolf, he was pretty sure he’d have probably died from lack of nutrition. Instead, he went on living his less-than-stellar lifestyle, wondering where she was and if she was happy. He contented himself with knowing that he’d done what was right for her, even if it meant he couldn’t be a part of her life. But as he sat listlessly inside his cabin, he felt empty and alone and the selfish desire to do it all over again and keep her, any way necessary, beat strong in his chest.
It was nights like these, where the fire seemed warmer and the cabin quieter, that he could almost feel her there with him. If he tried hard enough, he might even hear her laugh or one of her dog jokes. In fact, with his eyes closed, he could hear her heartbeat, quicker in his presence, and smell her… That sweet, soft scent mixed with attraction and a spicy essence, something akin to freedom and curiosity. His brow furrowed; it was stronger tonight, like she was actually close enough to touch. And her heartbeat was loud in his ears, almost like his ear was pressed to her chest. He both hated and loved it… In one way, it comforted him, and in another it only made him miss her more.
Hands gripped in fists, he felt awareness creep up his spine and desperately wished that when he turned around she’d be there and not some figment of his imagination conjuring her for his injured sanity.
…
Nervous didn’t even begin to cover it. Standing in front of his cabin door, her feet fidgeted to and fro and her heart hammered painfully in her chest. Her head said to turn back, to risk the woods and just leave, get away, give up on this pointless journey of hers. The League would take her back, her cousin would offer up a pint of Chunky Monkey and a shoulder to cry on, and life as she knew it would continue. But her heart fought against it; it told her to gather up her gumption already and just knock. Her hands shook, fingers curling and unfurling into fists. Finally, she raised one, her knuckles white with anticipation. But then her fingers released and instead she found her palm pressed to the door, as if she could feel him there, behind it, waiting for her. So she didn’t knock, she wouldn’t let herself hesitate anymore; instead she turned the knob and she stepped inside.
His back was to her as he stood in the center of his living room, his shoulders tensed. Slowly, he turned, sad black eyes landing on her. He looked so wounded, so lost… Dark whiskers fanned across his jaw, exhaustion clear in his face and posture. It was as if he’d shut down and hadn’t revived. His head tipped, eyes narrowing on her as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“You know it’s polite to invite someone in,” she said, trying to break the sudden tension in the air.
His lips quirked. “Usually, people knock.”
She grinned. “There’s nothing usual about me.”
“No…” he agreed, crossing his arms over his chest. “There’s really not.”
Closing the door, she walked toward him slowly. Distantly, she felt like she was approaching a wounded animal, careful not to scare off the skittish wolf. She came to a stop a few feet from him, staring up into his tired face. Without thinking, she reached for him, her palms cupping either side of his face, whiskers brushing her skin. “Two months and you’ve let yourself go,” she joked, though she couldn’t help the worry that clouded her face.
He swallowed tightly, trying and failing to smile. “Wasn’t sure you’d come back…”
Her gaze fell for a moment. “I wasn’t sure myself.”
His hands were balled into fists, russet skin drawn white at his knuckles. “So why did you?”
Biting her lip, she forced her eyes back up to him. “Didn’t feel right… Being anywhere that you weren’t.” Her brows furrowed as if admitting that confused her. “I don’t get it.” Shaking her head, she stepped away from him. “Half my life, I spend chasing after someone who just won’t let me catch him… And finally I convince myself I won’t do it anymore, I won’t fight to be loved. It should just happen.” Her mouth wobbled as emotion tightened her throat. “So I meet you and I tell myself nothing can happen; we’re from very different worlds and I… I don’t even know who I am anymore…” Searching his eyes, she licked her lips. “And you help me find me… In one day… And I know the smart thing is to leave, to take what you showed me and change my life… But I get away and all I can think about is being with you…” As a tear escaped down her cheek, she reached for it hastily, wiping her face. “My head keeps telling me I’m wrong, that it’s a mistake, that I should get as far away from you as possible. Because falling in love has never been good to me. But my heart…” Her voice cracked and unable to hold back, she lifted her hands to cover her face as her tears escaped. “Stupid heart,” she muttered.
He reached for her, gathered her up into his arms and held her close as she cried. She hadn’t realized just how cold she was until her face was buried in his chest and his warmth radiated all around her, deep into her bones, chasing away the chill and calming her body. She breathed him in and for a moment it was like every problem she’d ever had was solved; like her every fear had vanished. He stroked her hair, rubbed her back, until the whole of her was leaned against him, held up only by the brace of his arms. Abruptly, she realized she trusted him, something she hadn’t done with anyone in a long time. Oliver had earned it over years of a working partnership. But to trust her heart with someone… She tried to pull away, tried to stuff that knowledge far down beneath her and never let it surface again. Trusting him with all of herself would only end in heartbreak. But he held on, through her physical and emotional struggling, and he waited until she stopped trying to push him away; until she’d exhausted herself and instead she was just shaking her face against his chest.
Leaning down, he hooked his arm beneath her knees and hauled her up against his chest, carrying her bridal-style until he was sitting in her favorite armchair with her in his lap.
Sighing, she laid her head on his shoulder. “What are we doing?”
His fingers ran up and down her back, soothing. “We’re taking the first step.”
She looked up at him, brows furrowed with insecurity. “To what?”
He smiled gently. “Everything.”
She stared at him; at those deep black eyes and the genuine adoration he so clearly wore in every expression of his face. How long had it been since anybody looked at her that way? Or had they ever? Were the men of her past just shadows of what Jacob was? Their offerings, their emotions, what they felt and wanted for her; all just a pittance of what he had.
“Can the second step be that you shave?” she asked, hoping to relieve some of the seriousness.
He grinned. “So I’ve been less than motivated since you left,” he admitted.
“According to Embry, you’ve been lost without your favorite chew toy,” she told him, her brow lifting.
“Is he still alive?” he wondered chuckling.
She laughed. “I think he was testing me… And from all accounts, I appear to be passing.”
Smiling lightly, he rested his forehead against hers. “I’ll admit I was lost…”
Running her fingers through his hair, she murmured, “You weren’t the only one.”
His brows furrowed. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
“Yeah…” Her lips pursed. “Wanna enlighten me on what imprinting is?”
He winced.
…
A half hour later, they were shoulders deep in the bathtub. He sat in front of her while she soaked a cloth in the sudsy water and washed his back slowly.
“So you’ve essentially named me your soul mate just by looking at me?” she asked, her fingers delving in the lines and creases of the muscles that tensed and relaxed with each breath he took.
“Yes.”
She nodded to herself. “But it wasn’t your choice; it was some weird twist of Fate?”
“It’s like Fate knows…” He shook his head slowly. “Who fits, who will love each other more than anybody else could…”
Cloth trailing over his shoulders, she chewed her lip thoughtfully. His arms rested on her upturned knees, fingers randomly drawing shapes against her damp skin. Hair piled on top of her head in a messy ponytail, she’d suggested step number two come early. His entire being had screamed ‘ignored’ and she felt the need to take care of him, to make up for the time they’d lost. This was how they ended up in a very hot bath with her taking on the feminine roll of washing every square inch of him until he was relaxed and no longer looked like the hurt puppy she’d first seen when she arrived.
Squeezing his shoulders, she silently asked him to lean back. She hissed as her own back met the cold porcelain of the tub, but the warmth of his body against her front quickly made up for it. Head laid back on her shoulder, he stroked the tops of her thighs while she brought the cloth around to wash his chest. She was slow, on purpose, taking care to clean every immaculately beautiful inch of him. From his long neck to as far as she could reach; she delved into the taut curves of his biceps and down the slope of his sides, smiling as his stomach tensed when she touched the sensitive part of his ribs. There was something both sensual and utterly domestic about sharing a bath with him. She wasn’t uncomfortable, there were no insecurities. His tawny skin looked entirely opposite to her pale flesh but laid together, entwined as they were, it all seemed just right.
“So there’s no chance this will end? No way it might blow up in our faces?” she asked, not quite convinced.
“I’m sure we’ll fight…” He played with her fingers as her hand stilled on his chest. “You love adventure and I have no doubt you’ll get yourself into more than one dangerous situation… It’s my job to keep you safe and happy; that’ll come up. I can’t deny that some part of me wants to hide you away in a hidden utopia.”
She half-smiled. “Currently, my utopia is a little cabin in the middle of the woods… But given just how much vampire traffic you get through here, I don’t think it’s well hidden.”
He chuckled lowly, the vibrations of his chest reverberating in her own. “Imprinting’s for life though,” he admitted after a moment. “When we find who we’re meant to be with… we don’t let go.”
Her arms hugged him close, her face resting against his. “You let me leave…”
His wet fingers trailed up and down her forearms. “I couldn’t keep you here if you didn’t wanna be here.”
“You could,” she argued, “But you wouldn’t.”
Tipping his head back, he looked up at her. “Above everything else, I just want you to be happy. If that wasn’t with me….” His brow furrowed, jaw clenching.
She stared at him searchingly. “So you were willing to let me go… even if it meant you could never really be happy yourself?”
“I can fall in love; it would just never really be the same, never as much as I could with you…” He frowned. “Especially after actually knowing you…” He shook his head. “A month later and I was contemplating monkhood.”
Laughing lightly, she grinned. “You? A monk? And waste those talents of yours?”
He smirked but it waned quickly. “I didn’t want anybody else…” He looked up at her then, genuine honesty in his dark eyes. “I don’t want anyone else.”
She sighed softly; her humor fading. “Lifetime as a werewolf’s mate…”
This was serious; this was kind of life-altering… Embry told her, once they imprinted they were in it for the long-haul. Two months she’d been away and the whole time all she wanted was to go back, to see him. And now that she was here, everything was at ease again. She no longer felt like something was missing or she was going in the wrong direction. The nagging in her chest had stopped and even her head had quit its complaints.
He rolled over abruptly, water sloshing over the edge of the tub to soak the floor. The whole of his body was pressed tight to her and the water seemed cold compared to the heat of his body, even as steam rose off her reddened skin. He cupped her neck, wet fingers burying in her hair. “I know it’s not a fairytale come true… Nobody grows up wishing they could have the werewolf next door…” Forehead to forehead, he let his eyes close for a moment, sighing against her lips. “I’ll make it all worth it; every day. My spotlight will always be on you…” He grinned, staring at her warmly. “Chloe Sullivan… Center stage… First and foremost.”
Heart hammering, her choice was made before she’d even opened the door. Her hands framed his face. “I’ll get in trouble… Often… I can’t play house-wife, I have to have a job… and I like hunting vampires, so that could later become an issue.” She frowned. “My cousin is insane and she’ll visit without warning… She’ll threaten to neuter you, step on your tail, and she’ll probably send flea-treatments for birthday presents…” Tracing his temples with her thumbs, she sighed. “And you really have to show me the way in and out of these woods, ‘cause I’m pretty independent and having to rely on the local wolves to get me to and fro is-“
He cut her off with a kiss, laughing all the while. Moaning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and arched into him as his tongue stroked hers deliciously. So it was sealed then. She would stay, she would open her heart to this, to him, and she would see just what Fate had to offer.
…
Naked, soaking wet, dripping everywhere, he carried her out of the bathtub without stopping to towel dry. He laid her back on the bed and covered her quickly.
“Missed you,” he murmured, kissing down her shoulders.
His hands were everywhere, getting reacquainted with her body and not missing a single inch. The whiskers of his jaw, yet to be shaved, scraped along her skin in a tantalizing way. He wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed against her, rubbing his already hard erection against her slit while he suckled her breasts, his chin rasping against her ribs. Their palms pressed together, he held her hands up above her head while his tongue and teeth stroked and plucked each of her nipples in rhythm with his rocking hips.
A flush of indecent awareness rose along her body; waves of arousal tightened her thighs and licked at her stomach. He wrapped her fingers around the headboard, hands sliding down her arms slowly, lingering over sensitive flesh. He rubbed her shoulders, easing the tension, the want, before cupping her breasts, thumbs stroking circles around her pebbled nipples. And like before, she was overwhelmed; what he could do to her with a simple touch was beyond comprehension. It was as if he knew her every soft spot and if he didn’t, he was learning them quickly. She could feel his touch everywhere, lingering even after his hands were elsewhere.
The heat of his mouth left shadows of sweet kisses all along her skin. She tingled, head to toe, his warmth radiating all through her. Kissing down her flat stomach, he nibbled her hipbones, and then his eyes were on hers, flashing with dark desire. She whimpered; the promise in his gaze felt like a caress. Sliding his hands up and down the tops of her thighs, he pressed his cheek to her inner-thigh, letting his whiskers scrape against her skin, teasing her as he lowered his face nearer to her heat, only to let his hot breath skitter across her and then slide his cheek up her opposite leg. Her toes curled into the blanket on either side of him.
“Please,” she asked, her head tossed back as his mouth came so close only to pull away again.
“I don’t know… The last time we did this, you were gone the next morning…” he reminded, though there was no censure in his voice. His hand slid along her hip and teased the creases between her thighs and folds. “I won’t go through that again…” She looked down at him, the feral possessiveness in his eyes made her shiver noticeably. A low growl escaped the back of his throat. “I won’t say goodbye again.”
She shook her head agreeably. “No goodbyes.”
He smiled slowly, as if she’d promised, as if he believed her. “The werewolf and the vampire hunter…” he chuckled, shaking his head.
Her eyes lightened tenderly. “We’re our own kind of fairytale.”
He tipped his head, his chin rubbing against her spread heat. “Happily ever after,” he murmured before pressing his lips to her in a carnal kiss.
She cried out as his tongue explored her, stroking her past thought and well into passionate delirium. Suckling her heat, his tongue and fingers teased every inch of her. As if to make up for two months, he didn’t pause or slow, delving his tongue deep inside her and holding her thighs apart while he feasted on her every cry and buck of her hips. Tears had sprung to her eyes, her lip raw from her teeth, and finally her hands slipped from the rungs of his headboard to grip his shoulders.
“Please, please…” she gasped.
With one last long lick to her moist folds, he crawled up her body, only to plunge inside her without warning. Rocketing off the bed, she pressed her hips tight to his own. Body arched, she gasped for air while he held her steady. Feral and tender, he moved inside her as both beast and man, the lines blurred. While he laid between her thighs in only human form, the wolf inside him would not be ignored. He nipped her neck, his hands nearly bruising as they held her tight, unwilling to let her go in case she thought to leave once more.
It was in that moment, while he kissed her lips like a man in love but held her hand like a scared and hurt boy that she knew how much her leaving had affected him. Imprinting was like an engagement; it was knowing that whatever they did, whatever they were, there was somebody out there that would always accept and love them. And she’d walked away; willing to live a life far away from him. Perhaps in the most unselfish move, he’d let her go. Like her, he’d lived his life wanting to keep those around him safe and loving someone who simply couldn’t love him back. Or at least not to the same extent. And so while she’d seen it as Fate offering her a future, she’d overlooked that it was giving him one too. He wanted this; he wanted her. And he was willing to take her in all of her dangerous, death-defying, trouble-making glory. It only made her love him more.
The sun was rising when they fell back to the bed, exhausted. To even count how many times he’d taken her, with his mouth, his hands, his cock thick between her thighs, was impossible. She was sore, in a good way; she was tired but she didn’t want to close her eyes; she was happy. They laid face to face in his bed, eyes half-lidded, comfortably naked. There were no fears, no worries, no wondering what might come next.
He stroked her hair from her face, tucked it behind her ears and half-smiled. “How’s Goldilocks like the bed?”
“With you in it?” She grinned. “It’s just right.”
Sun cresting in the window, a new day began, and with it so did the ‘everything’ that they were sure to be.
[Next: Chapter VI.]