Blood Bank // Jacob X Edward

Chapter 3

(A.N.

Direct continuation of the last chapter and a flashback into the beginnings of how we got here.

Enjoy!💜)

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Edward contemplated for all of ten seconds on whether to clean Jacob up from the mess between his legs and on the drenched bed sheet.

He decided against it — wanted Jacob to wake up with the reminder of the mark Edward left on him.

He did, however, fetch a bottle of water from under Jacob's desk, which they kept there for situations such as this. Where Jacob is so fucked that he passes out and can't walk to the kitchen afterwards.

Edward pours some water out into the palm of his hand, smears it over his mouth, and wipes the residue off with the towel Jacob dropped on the floor earlier to clean himself. Then walks up to the bed to tap Jacob's burning, flushed red cheek with the back of his hand twice.

"Jacob," he calls quietly. Jacob swats Edward's hand away with a groan and flutters his eyes open in annoyance. "Drink."

Jacob glares at the vampire standing at the edge of the bed with the water bottle in hand. He sits up a bit and snatches it from Edward's hands and sips at the soothing liquid for a minute as Edward slides into the warm bed next to him. When Jacob finishes, he shoves the bottle back to Edward, the water jostling in the plastic, and Edward sets it down on the floor beside him after screwing the cap back on. Jacob slips down the mattress to lie down comfortably and sleep, facing the wall and away from Edward.

Edward just snuggles in like a lazy cat and wraps his arm around the wolf to pull him in close, pressed against his chest, and nuzzles his cheek into the nape of his mate's neck.

It's times like this that Edward loves the most. Sure, the sex is always a highlight in Edward's day. It's more than he ever thought he could ever have, and wouldn't want it with anyone else. But being close to his mate, touching tenderly in the warmth of the "afterglow," is the best. When it's them pulled together, and Jacob melts into him easily because he's so successfully ruined. There's not really any fight left in the wolf, just the pettiness and stubbornness that is Jacob's natural temper. So perfect and pure and pliant — all because of Edward. He's waited over a century for this, and now he's got it. And you can try to pry it from Edward's cold, dead hands, but he won't budge. Won't let you take it from him even when there's nothing left but a pile of ashes. Or eons old with a milky white film over his blood-red eyes and translucent skin.

As he lies there with his perfect wolf snuggled in close, he starts to think back to when he first met the fiery little thing. When he was still just a puppy learning to bare his teeth and snap and snarl. Edward smiles into the raven hair as he remembers it fondly.

﹌﹌﹌ Flashback ﹌﹌﹌

Spring dance.

Edward had only stepped away for a moment to pull the car out. And already — the moment he turns his back for a second — the wolves descend. The sneaky little thing. Always so sly.

As much as it was Bella's bad luck, Edward also likes to think it was fate for him. His time finally came and he hadn't even known it till then.

He thought it was Bella. Thought she was the one. A lovely gift of a singer with a silent mind wrapped up in clumsiness and obstinacy. A sacrificial lamb. Stupid little lamb. All wobbly and soft and frail since the day it was born. Yes, the gift of her was more so hurled towards him unexpectedly rather than neatly like he would have preferred. It was annoying when she first appeared, her existence alone jeopardizing everything he and his coven worked so hard to protect. But life is strange and despite it all with James, Victoria and Laurent, it worked out. And Edward was planning on making it work for forever. Making her his mate.

Bella was worth more as a human — a prize — than a creature like him, so he was going to protect her uniqueness until he either snapped or died fighting for it.

Until Jacob. Oh, Jacob. Sweet, sweet Jacob.

Jacob came in gracefully. Perfectly. The only kind of surprise Edward liked.

There he was, sitting on a bench outside the venue next to Bella. Fifteen and rugged and wild. Smile brighter than the setting sun and rising moon. Silky hair and hooded eyes darker than night and skin warmer than gold. And it was only going to get warmer.

The boy's expansive mind pure and awkward and all teenage innocence, stuffing Edward's own head with cotton. Jacob was still only small and blissfully unaware. And yet, still wary. Cautious and stealthy. A wolf to be. A mate to be.

His natural enemy, sworn to destroy one another. Forbidden fruit. So Romeo and Juliet.

Of course, Jacob would be sent to warn Bella off from the blood-sucking vampire. And, of course, Jacob would take it with a grain of salt but carry it out dutifully. How precious.

Edward knew then. Knew he absolutely had to have him. Through any means necessary. It was set in stone from that very moment. This is what it felt like to find your true mate. Years spent so alone for it all to pay off so handsomely. Jacob was not a prize, not a bonus. More like divinity that Edward was owed. Something to cherish and worship. Made specifically for Edward.

He had heard of Jacob before. Bella had discussed with the Cullen's about how she found out about the legends of 'Cold Ones' during her trip to La Push Beach with her friends. He didn't think much of Jacob then. Just a boy who didn't know any better, thinking of the legends as simply that — legends.

And then he drove past them, Jacob and his father, that one time when he left Bella's house. Heard the raging thoughts of Billy Black about the vampire.

And the wonderful, inquisitive mind of Jacob Black in the seat next to Billy, excited to see Bella and thinking of how cool Edward's car was. It was only a quick glimpse into Jacob's mind that time, and already he could feel a pull to it. Wanted to explore it further. But never did he get to see the boy behind the windshield, for Edward was too focused on the rage and fear Billy expressed.

Edward deeply appreciated an intelligent, open mind who shared like-minded thoughts as himself, and they were terribly hard to come by. He made a mental note that he'd like to hear more of what goes on inside the young Quileute's head. A restful mind he could get lost in, unlike the insufferable idiots that surrounded him in Forks. But the moment ended as soon as it started. And with everything else going on, Edward didn't think of it at all after that.

But now he's here. And he can see Jacob as much as hear that lovely brain of his.

Edward could hear the pair's awkward giggles fade, and the conversation come to an end with Bella attempting to stand up on her broken leg and Jacob — such the gentlemen — helping her.

Still in the depths of shock at being caught off guard by his found mate gracing Edward with his presence, Edward sprung to them wide-eyed.

"That's alright, Jacob. I'll take it from here."

Right, maybe not the best introduction. But the cuteness of Jacob recoiling in shock at the sound of the vampire's voice, so unexpectedly close, and the look of fierce protectiveness over Bella was definitely worth it. Dark eye's squinting with a twitch of his left eye at a potential threat. And slight curiosity. Sweet puppy, so expressive. And oh, the way his name tasted on Edward's tongue.

A delicacy not to be taken as lightly as "I'll see you around, Jake," by the likes of Bella.

And so, Edward and Bella left, with the girl clinging to him curiously, but Edward's eyes lingered on Jacob's with a spark snapping between the link as they parted.

Edward didn't want to leave, but they couldn't linger, and Edward had some planning to do.

Bella begged for the bite. He refused with a soft kiss to her neck. It amused Edward a bit, but it frustrated him more. No longer did he want to tie himself to Bella — which gave him whiplash at the suddenness of this new development — and now he'd have to figure out a way to get rid of her. As they danced slowly under the glow of fairy lights, the lamb pushed close to the lion she loved — whose thoughts mainly consisted of the wolf — a sly smile tugged at Edward's lips.

Maybe Bella could be more useful than he originally thought.