Happy Valentine's Day

Summary: It'd been a long time since she'd had a real Valentine's Day with someone special. Blackwater.

Leah Clearwater packed her bags slowly and carefully, only bringing what was absolutely necessary for an overnight stay at the nearby motel.

Titanic. The Notebook. Romeo and Juliet.

Cookbook. Wine. Godiva chocolate.

Lingerie. Nail Polish. Perfume.

After she finished, she placed it all into the backpack she had ready and closed the front door as she left the house. She walked up the hill on the side of the street, right at the edge of the deep green woods that she knew far too well for her liking. She stared at her feet as she walked, knowing what she was doing was too strange; knowing that nobody knew, and knowing that nobody cared what she did on this morbid holiday.

She walked into the office and paid for her one bed suite. She took the keys from Mrs. Smith timidly and soundlessly. She could see the critical expression she wore as she wondered what Leah was doing here on this dreary holiday. Or, more likely, wondering why Leah was here alone. And if she was going to stay alone for long.

Leah ignored her analytical gaze and walked back outside, entering room number 18. She set all of her stuff down and looked around the room. Quaint. Quiet. Perfect. Nearly perfect anyway.

She began unpacking, popping Romeo and Juliet into the DVD player underneath the television. It had been years since she had watched this. She didn't particularly like it, but she needed a little more heartache right now.

As the opening scene began, Leah started to cook herself dinner, taking out the pots and pans from underneath the sink and washing them to make sure there wasn't any germs, dirt, or grease left on them from the persons who resided previously.

She followed the cookbooks directions exactly, making sure to add the garnishes and such so it looked nice. Leah took out the lingerie she brought and changed in the bathroom, making sure to look perfect. She combed out her hair and tousled it softly, adding hairspray to the mix. She carefully applied eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, and blush.

She sat on the bed and painted her toenails while she ate slowly and watched the movie, paying as much attention to it as she could muster. She didn't cry as Romeo found Juliet dead. She didn't weep as Juliet found Romeo lying next to her, dead. She didn't sob as Juliet stabbed her heart with the dagger. Leah didn't cry because she had learned a long time ago that this is just how life is. Just when things are starting to look up, life takes a nosedive.

She got up and put in The Notebook. This time, she cried throughout the entire movie, letting the silent tears flow slowly down her cheeks. As the end credits started to roll, she stood and washed all the dishes, putting them back where she had gotten them.

As she watched Titanic, she ate her Godiva chocolate, drank her wine and felt the distinct feeling of loneliness sink into her skin, giving her a cold tingle. She stared enviously at The Heart of the Ocean. She watched in agony as Jack froze to death. She cried happily as Rose met Jack in the afterlife. And then the tears turned sad. At least Rose had someone that was willing to wait that long.

Leah turned off the television and the lights and snuggled under the covers, burying her face into the pillow she brought for herself. She already knew that it'd be stained with tears by the time she woke up in the morning.

Leah sighed in relief as she woke up. It was now February 15th. She had just survived yet another Valentine's Day. She laid there for another moment before throwing the covers back and going into the bathroom to shower and redress herself with the clothes she wore yesterday, tossing the useless lingerie into her backpack. She packed up the DVDs and threw away the now-empty box of Godiva chocolates. She made sure everything was in place before she stepped outside and into the main office to return the keys.

Then she started the trek home, on that fateful day of February 15th. She listened to her feet crunch against the gravel on the road. She moved to the side as a car came and listened to her shoes squish in the mud. But after the car passed, she didn't move back onto the paved road. No, instead she continued walking in the mud. Because she just didn't care anymore.

She could smell one of the guys around. Going away from her, coming towards her, staring at her, she wasn't sure. But she could smell them. She couldn't hear them, and she couldn't see them, but they were there just the same. And she hoped that maybe, just maybe, one of them was watching her, with the tears that had begun to slowly roll down her cheeks. Because it was an S.O.S. She needed somebody. Anybody.

She unlocked the front door, only to find the house empty. Sue was with Charlie. Seth was hanging out with Embry. She had the house to herself. All alone.

She marched up the stairs to her room and unpacked her bag. She put the DVDs on the shelf in the far corner of her room. She took out the perfume and lingerie and wine and cookbook.

She looked up from where she stood next to the bed and did a double take at the reflection in the mirror. She turned around slowly.

"What the hell are you doing here, Jacob?" she asked quietly, speaking completely monotone and without feeling. She balled up the lingerie in her hand and hid it behind her back.

"Nothing. Just came to ask you how your Valentine's Day was." Leah winced at how loud he spoke. Her ears ached. She turned to the bed, away from him.

"Fine. And yours?" she asked quietly, in the same tone and manner she had before. She already knew the answer. Positively wonderful. That's because he had spent his Valentine's Day with Nessie, the Eighth World Wonder. It was her first Valentine's Day.

She fiddled with the black and purple lacey silk, rubbing it gently against her hands, loving the feel of it. When she felt Jacob right behind, she froze, every bone in her body tightening as his hand was placed on the small of her back and he looked over her shoulder at what she held in her hands.

"Who were you with last night?" he demanded. Leah clenched her eyes shut, her head aching from how loud he was. On one side of the world, she wanted him to just get the hell out of her house and let her wallow in self-pity. On another side of the world, she wanted him to stay.

"No one. What, a girl can't wear sexy lingerie and just sit around?" She gave a forced laugh and cleared her throat before tossing the mass of black into the hamper in her closet. She walked over to the dresser and placed her perfume on it gently, trying to consume as much time as possible while performing this task. She leaned against it and avoided the mirror. She felt a tear fall from her cheek as Jacob stood behind her again.

He wrapped both arms around her from behind and held her back against him. She felt pleasantly surprised when he planted a kiss atop her head.

"What's wrong?" he mumbled in her hair. She let another tear fall. And another. And another. But she didn't speak.

She didn't feel it when he picked her up bridal style and placed her on the bed. She didn't notice when he laid down next to her and turned her on her side, spooning her delicate body. She just cried silently as he wrapped a lock of her short brown hair around his finger.

"Why did you spend Valentine's Day all alone?" he asked, his voice but a whisper.

"Because everybody else had somebody. It wasn't as if I was going to say that I didn't have anybody to spend Valentine's Day with. Nobody would've cared. Nobody would've changed their plans. And if they had, it would've been awkward anyway. I'd rather spend it alone than be the third wheel."

Jacob was silent for a moment as he ran his hand up and down her arm. She shivered, feeling cold for the first time in years. She pulled her legs closer to her chest and curled into a ball. A loud sob erupted from her lips. Jacob stood up and pulled back the covers, pushing her under them gently and turned her onto her opposite side. He got under the covers and wrapped his arms around her so she cried into his chest. He drew shoulders into her shoulder blade.

"I wish I could have spent it with you," he whispered into her hair as she ceased to sob. She tilted her head to look up at him. He looked down at her with an amused smile. "Really, I do. Nessie is too young for a romantic day like this. And it's no fun just doing what we do everyday."

Leah pressed her face into his neck, rubbing her face against him. He smelled…not like woods. Like a nice, manly cologne. Musk. Woods. Good.

Jacob chuckled, and it reverberated against his chest. "Like it? Nessie told me I smelled funny."

Leah smiled. "Yeah, I do like it."

They laid in silence for while before Jacob asked her the question she dreaded the most. He whispered it, leaning down to her ear, his hot breath coming from just the right angle and making her shiver.

"I saw you walking back from the motel. If you spent last night alone, why didn't you just spend it here? You had the house to yourself."

Leah took in a deep breath to steady herself. She felt light-headed by the fact that he even cared.

"Because this house is too big and too empty to be in all alone. And because I wanted someplace I didn't know so well."

Jacob thought about this a moment. "Yeah, but do you know how often they wash those comforters?"

Leah giggled, realizing his point. He smiled as she looked up at him. They stared at each other a moment before the smile began to fade from their faces, and they just looked as deep into each other's eyes as they possibly could. Wanting to hold on to this minute forever.

Jacob leaned in slowly, stopping and resting his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes and waited. He was timid, closing in an inch, then pulling back a centimeter. Leah smiled softly, her eyes still closed. As his lips touched hers, she tasted his lips, taking in the memory. Slowly her blood began to boil, the kiss remaining slow and sweet before they finally pulled away. Both were smiling with their eyes still closed.

"So I take it you're my Valentine?" he whispered, leaning down and kissing her neck gently. She smiled and nodded, leaning her head to the side to give him greater access.

"Yes."

He pulled back and looked down at her, as he hovered over her. He ran his large, warm, scarred hand over her smooth cheek. He rested his forehead against hers slowly and kissed her even slower. She smiled into the kiss, and he did the same. He pulled back and let out a warm breath against her lips. She giggled and bit her lip. He grinned and took her bottom lip into his mouth, sucking lightly. She moaned quietly. He chuckled and pulled back, looking down at her.

He laid down next to her again and held her against his chest. He mumbled into her hair, "Next year, we're going to spend the entire day together, just you and me. Like this. But you'll be wearing that purple and black thing you were just holding.

Leah laughed and nodded. "That I will. Though, probably not for long."

He kissed her forehead. "Happy Valentine's Day, Leah."

She smiled and snuggled closer. "Happy Valentine's Day, Jake."

They quickly fell asleep, dreaming of nothing but the journey they were embarking on starting now.

A/N: Hope you liked it. And I hope everybody had a Happy Valentine's Day. Sadly, I don't own Leah or Jacob. Reveiws=love!