All Bark, No Bite [Jacob & Edward]

8

Jacob woke up confused. Granted, he'd been confused before he'd abruptly woken up with his face pressed onto something that was too flesh-like to be a mattress, but he'd at least known how he'd gotten to that point. He could recall getting all worked up about Edward, he could still feel the distant ache of embarrassment. He was jealous, okay? And he would never directly admit it to anyone. 

The thing beneath him shifted slightly and it jostled him further out of the fog of sleep and into the real world. He could now hear a very quiet, almost non-existent heartbeat underneath him, and he'd be startled if he couldn't feel hands sliding up his sides in a calming rhythm that almost had him closing his eyes again. 

"Jake?" Edward's voice is quiet, hesitant. Jacob can feel his breath ghosting over his forehead.

Jacob responds with a grunt because he's not ready to be back in reality yet. He just needs a few more minutes of pretending everything was right and nothing hurt. 

Edward doesn't push the issue, continuing his fingers gliding across Jacob's skin until he finally opens his eyes. 

For a moment, they just sit in silence. 

Jacob's lost in his own thoughts, wondering when he'd become so dramatic. When had things started mattering this much to him? He couldn't stand it, but he also couldn't seem to get away from it. 

He can feel Edward thinking. It's like he has so much on his mind that he can't keep it inside of his own head. It's like he's tip-toeing around to keep Jacob calm. 

"Leah's downstairs," This caught Jacob's attention immediately, his eyes darting up to find Edward's, "she wanted an update on our...situation, wanted to know how you were doing."

His hands are now on Jacob's lower back, rubbing soothing circles like he was expecting some kind of adverse reaction. Jacob didn't say anything, didn't move a single muscle. 

"She wants to talk to you." Edward's hands stopped their massaging and he just waited quietly for Jacob to speak. 

Jacob wasn't exactly in the mood for conversation, wasn't even in the mood for Edward to be touching him, but he felt like being upset was too much of an effort and not worth the outcome or the exhaustion that followed. Every time he felt an emotion, it manifested itself stronger than he'd thought possible. This kid was going to end up killing him. 

He let out another grunt, pushing himself up finally and rolling off of the top of Edward once he realized that they were once again back in his room, in his bed. He settled himself back under the covers and listened to Edward maneuvering himself off of the bed.

Three minutes later he was met by the sound of the bed creaking as someone sat on the edge.

"Jacob?" It's Leah's voice, but it's softer than it usually is. 

"'M not fragile, Leah." He hums out. 

"You fainted from stress, Jacob." She says it like it proves something, and Jacob doesn't bother with arguing, just waits for whatever she came up here for.

"It's strong." 

"What?" He slowly turns his head to look at her and sees that she's looking at him with an expression that he's honestly kind of tired of seeing.

"The bond with Edward."

Jacob blinks once, twice.

"What?"

"You imprinted upon him and your bond is strong." She says it so matter-of-factly that Jacob almost believes she's joking. He huffs out a laugh, waiting for her to let out a 'I'm just fucking with you.', but it never comes.