A/N: Hello Readers, here is little change of pace! This chapter will give you guys a break from all the dark and heavy chemistry. Hopefully you guys like it, thanks for reading!

Chapter 4

His visits were always unannounced, but she was always waiting for him.

She would restlessly wring her hands together, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt as she waited his arrival. He was coming more often now, for longer durations. And every time he stepped out of his car onto her driveway, she could feel herself let out the breath she never knew she'd been holding in.

She would walk out to greet him, armed with a snide comment. They would exchange sarcastic snips at each other before she would invite him inside.

Jacob had developed a penchant for the brunette. It was one he knew he couldn't break. Despite his busy schedule, he somehow could find the time to see her. No matter what mood he was in, angry, frustrated, depressed, she could remedy it effortlessly.

A smile would tug at his usually emotionless face, and he would find himself enjoying her presence more and more.

He would tease her, telling her he was only here to keep her company in Seth's absence. The younger boy was out at the University of Washington, attending his classes like the smart kid he was.

"Hey,"

She was standing out by the driveway, facing the pavement in hopes of hiding the smile on her face.

"Hey," his voice was deep, near.

Then she looked up, their eyes connecting. There was something warm between them, a familiar sensation that brought him closer.

"What's the plan?" she asked, now gazing straight up at him, wondering how she'd never noticed how strong and sharp his jawline was. Maybe Jacob had always been this handsome, maybe she was only noticing now.

"You tell me," a semblance of a grin across his face. His eyes glazed over her appearance. He was exhausted after a long day, but he was never too tired to see her. His hand unconsciously lifted as he brushed a lock of hair from her face.

His body was always doing that, reacting to her without his permission. He couldn't help it, and as frustrating as that was, he still felt a surge of pride when she didn't push him away.

She cleared her throat, shifting a bit until he pulled away, his arm back at his side.

They'd had their own collection of little adventures. It was like they were children again, free to do whatever they wanted with the time they had together.

There had been the night they went midnight hiking. Jacob was reluctant, Leah was excited. She outlined the rules early on: no werewolf powers of any sort, no super speed, no super strength. It was the night it occurred to him that Leah missed being human.

She tackled him from behind when they reached the top of the mountain. He kept his promise of not using any special skills, and it had taken them several hours to reach the peak. It was the first time he'd laughed so hard in a while. Both of them laid on the ground then, surrounded by cool air and trees, staring up at the stars above.

When he walked her back home, she thanked him. By the time he realized he wanted to kiss her, the door had already shut behind her.

Then there was the time he strong-armed her into cooking dinner. It started out as a joke, but he was pleasantly surprised to see a domestic side to her. The meal turned out fine, far better than he initially expected. Though he didn't say it in so many words, he loved it.

He leaned over the counter in the kitchen, his eyes intently following her every move. She prepared the simple dish methodically, careful not to make any mistake at the risk of his endless teasing. After they finished, he volunteered to do the dishes, and she couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him at the sink, arm deep in soapy water. After everything was done, she realized that they made a pretty good team. They fell asleep on the couch then, their stomachs full and their lungs sore from laughing so long. He awoke early the following morning, fully amused by the limbs she had draped over him. Too bad he needed to leave without saying goodbye.

Jacob felt himself growing more daring. Everything was suddenly intensified; the sound of her breathing, the brightness of the afternoon sun, all of it was amplified.

Without really thinking about it, he placed a hand on her waist, inching closer to her with every passing second. As she realized his closeness, the smile on her face began to fade, though she didn't move away.

"Whoa there," she said under her breath, a hand on his chest to stop him where he was. He didn't move closer, but he didn't move further away either. They were frozen like that for a moment, neither of them sure where to go from this position.

"Down, Boy," she tried to add a tinge of humor to the situation, she just hadn't been expecting him to be so bold.

Then all at once, the realization came to him. His hand dropped from her waist and up to cover is cough as he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Sorry," he apologized. He felt his teeth grit together. He was angry, frustrated. Not with her, but with himself. He bit the inside of his cheek, flexing the hand that now scorched from her touch. He'd been too impulsive. He needed to keep his emotions in check, but in that moment he had failed.

"No, it's okay," she shook her head, shifting as if to shake off the heavy atmosphere. She kept a wary gaze on him, unsure of what to do. But when it looked like he was going to bolt, she instinctively reached out, "No, don't go."

He paused, looking at her hand now wrapped around his wrist.

"Come on, let's go inside," she suggested, not giving him the opportunity to respond.

He would have chuckled to himself, thinking about how assertive she was with her opinion. Ten years ago he would have never been able to get a word through to her, and now, nothing had changed. He might have been a different man now, but she certainly retained certain features that were so quintessential to her identity.

"I'm thinking we go out tonight," he sat himself down on the right hand side of the couch, sinking into his usual spot as he watched her pace through the room.

He lounged comfortably, slowly realigning himself with his nerves. He was again the cool and collected Jacob Black. He watched as she settled near the window, looking back at him.

"Where?" she asked.

"I'm starving,"

She was about to comment, when he spoke again.

"Besides, I don't think either of us could take another night of home cooked meals," he was smirking now. She rolled her eyes. He laughed slightly to himself. Both of them knew it was lie, that he really did enjoy her cooking. It's just that he would never admit so to her.

"Fine," she shrugged, sending him a playful glare from across the room.

"Alright, I'll wait in the car," he nodded, lifting himself out of his seat. Leah stood in place, not sure of what she should do.

He shot her a smile over his shoulder as he made his way to the exit.

She waited until she heard the front door to let out a deep breath. She placed hand over her beating heart, as if it would help calm its rapid pace.

The unthinkable had just occurred. Did Jacob Black just ask her on a date?

-p-

Leah rushed to get ready. It wasn't like she'd gotten any significant notice, she was forced to improvise. Dinner was the expected proposition, but where? A restaurant? A diner?

She'd settled for jeans and a fitted top. Nothing too dressy, but classy enough to not look sloppy. She groaned internally as she pulled a pair of flat boots onto her feet, unconsciously wondering why she was putting any effort in. Annoyed as she was at the ambiguity of this evening, she sucked it up and forced herself to think of the boy that was waiting outside.

Half flustered, half angry, she walked up to the car, jerked open the passenger side door, and took her place next to him in the truck. She didn't look at him, thinking he would just start the car and get going.

But even without looking, she could feel his lingering gaze on her. He didn't shift the gear or even turn the ignition, he was staring.

"Hey, Leah," he said quietly.

"What?" she snapped impatiently, though softening immediately after she met his eyes. The look in his eyes, it was startlingly different now. The steely, aloof, cool quality was gone. Instead he was staring at her with something warm, endearment maybe?

He swallowed over the lump in his throat. "You look nice,"

An uncharacteristic heat rose to her cheeks, and she avoided his eyes, her line of vision now focusing on the dashboard. "Thanks," she accepted the compliment apprehensively, unaccustomed to that kind of attention. As different as this sensation was, she couldn't say she disliked it.

She heard him laugh at her reaction. He was smiling more now, she liked it. Seeing him happy brought the same feeling to her.

Jacob shook his head to himself, then shifting the gear and pulling out onto the road.

-p-

Neither uttered a single syllable on the way there. He didn't ask her where she wanted to eat, and she didn't tell him either. Jacob decided to wing it, choosing the restaurant himself. He'd heard Rachel talking about this place in downtown Seattle that Paul had taken her last month.

His older sister and Leah were polar opposites in character. But he was hoping, emphasis on hoping, that they would share the same taste in ambiance.

The streets were busy, crowded. As they walked down the road, he felt himself tense up. When was the last time he'd left La Push? He never had business far away from home, even as far out as the city. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen so many unfamiliar faces.

He watched Leah with awe though. Perhaps the last five years really had transformed her. She moved with ease, leading them through. There were many people navigating their way around, but somehow everyone was making way for Leah. No one stood in her way.

When they were schoolchildren, everyone had been afraid of blocking Leah's path. But now people were making way for her, countless eyes falling onto her and gaping at her with a similar awe he did. Leah on the other hand was entirely oblivious.

Jacob didn't fail to notice that most of the attention directed at her was male attention. Whenever he caught some punk leering at her, he could feel himself getting defensive.

He'd always known he was the jealous type. He just didn't know that he was the type to get possessive over a girl like Leah.

He knew she could handle herself, hell, she could fight her way through any asshole here. But nonetheless, the instinct to fend them off for her was prominent.

Though the terror every guy looked at him with did have its calming effect. With his menacing disposition, every man knew to back off. Even by standard human means, his tall and muscular physique dictated the simple reality that he could beat any of them to a pulp.

He couldn't blame them though. Leah did look good, she always had. Only now were people, himself included, starting to take notice.

"Jake,"

Her voice snapped him to reality. He realized they had arrived, "Right," he said before leading her inside the quaint establishment.

Heads turned every which way onto the couple. While Leah was unaware of the eyes on her, she grew painfully aware of the glances Jacob was receiving. These women were shameless.

She glanced over at her partner, tilting her head as she drank in his appearance. Under the dim illumination, she could make out his chiseled features. He donned a plain button down and pants. He used to look so boyish, but it had been a long time since he outgrew his kid-like appearance.

He's looked like a full-grown man since he turned fifteen, becoming even more mature and threatening by the time he turned at sixteen. Most girls in their hometown could swoon over his handsomeness, but Leah had never been one of them until now.

"You okay?"

She smiled at him. They were always asking each other that, worried about one another's wellbeing more than would normally be socially acceptable.

"I'm fine," she answered, taking a seat first. He followed in suit, placing himself across from her. He looked uncomfortable, nervous. A waitress greeted them energetically, handing both of them menus before taking her a leave. The way the other woman winked at Jacob before turning around didn't escape Leah, but she tried to ignore the unpleasant feeling it brought her.

"What are you ordering?" she wondered.

"Not sure,"

"I thought you said you were starving?"

He stopped. "Maybe," he nonchalantly, "Maybe not,"

He feigned ignorance, though he said it to annoy her, and she knew it.

She shook her head, putting the menu up to conceal the slight grin that seemed ever so present nowadays. "Shut up and decide what to order,"

-p-

"You need to stop talking," she put her hand up between them.

"I'm serious," he insisted.

"No, you're not. You're making fun of me,"

He chuckled, the sound of his laugh deep, rich.

Both of them reclined on the hood of his truck. After they'd finished their meal, the pair drove back into La Push. But instead of returning her to her house, Jacob decided to take a detour.

They were at the beach again, just like they had been four weeks earlier.

"I would never," he responded facetiously. Though in truth, while he would never hesitate to tease her, he was being completely honest in this moment.

She laid down on the front of the vehicle on her back. She had her hands over her stomach, her hair fanning out around her.

The man beside her was facing her, his elbow resting on metal with his chin resting on his palm.

"Liar," she laughed, closing her eyes. Tonight had been phenomenal, a dream. All the time she spent with Jacob had been wholly wonderful, but exhausting at the same time.

"I'm serious," he breathed, "Your hair, it looks good like this,"

She shifted, squinting up at him critically. The memory of Jacob at fifteen suddenly came reeling back, and she stifled a laugh with the back of her wrist.

"Right, and that's why you swapped in your long locks for something like this," she now turned on her side, her hand reaching out to ruffled his hair, when something stopped her. It was an innocent gesture, but was it too innocent? She pulled back, but he didn't seem to notice.

He groaned loudly, throwing his head back slightly. His not so stylish hairdo in high school had not been the most fashion forward.

"Never said I liked long hair on me. Only on you,"

"Gee Jacob, if you say it like that—"

She never got to finish, because he pressed his lips against hers.

People talk about the spark of a first kiss. But now, there was no such spark. No, nothing sharp, nothing shockingly distinct, nothing instantaneous.

No, this was nothing like that.

This was burning, strangely desirable but beautiful. This was slow, like time had stood still. This was not the result of some impulsive move of young love. No, this was something perfect all its own.

He deepened the kiss, pulling closer, his left hand holding her the side of her visage more gently than he knew he could.

It couldn't have been more than a few seconds when they separated, but it felt so much longer. As he moved away, she reopened her eyes, never leaving his.

What they had just shared was so special, so different than either of them had ever expected.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," he confessed lowly, "You have no idea,"

"Yeah?" Her lips couldn't convey thought into words, as if the connection had been blocked by another more powerful stimulus.

"Yeah." He confirmed, waiting for her full reaction.

She pressed her lips together, never breaking their eye contact. A buzzing in her head made things blur together. But the sensation was not painful, instead it was something resembling intoxication.

"Let me think about it," came her simple response.

He nodded, understanding what just happened might need time to properly suggest. There had always been a romantic subtext to their interactions since they'd come to the beach when she first returned. At least, there had been on his end.

She might not be convinced at this moment, but he could wait.

For someone like Leah Clearwater, Jacob Black would wait an eternity.

"Okay," he agreed.

"Good," she sighed, yawning from exhaustion.

"Okay," he said again good-naturedly, surprised to find no hostility inside of him. Maybe he was just happy he'd finally gotten to kiss her.

"Good," she repeated too. Not waiting for his response, she shifted herself up so her head was no placed parallel to his shoulder.

Letting her tiredness take over, she rested her head there, leaning on him for support. Then, falling asleep, she swore she felt his arm wrap around her, bringing them closer together.

Her last thoughts before drifting into unconsciousness were ones she hardly considered before. Jacob had always been in her life, and he always would be. Only now maybe it was time for his role in her life to change a bit.

Perhaps she wasn't so resistant to the idea after all.

End Chapter 3

A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! If you'd like me to continue, please leave a review!