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Jacob had never been known for his patience, but for her, he had all the time in the world. Which was ironic, considering how long he'd already been waiting for her to notice.
It wasn't like he was subtle. He made sure she was always warm, whether that meant draping his hoodie over her shoulders or pulling her close when the wind picked up. He brought her food without her asking, memorized how she liked her coffee, and made a habit of throwing an arm around her just to see if maybe—just maybe—she'd finally realize he wasn't doing it just as a friend.
He complimented her constantly. Told her she was beautiful, smart, hilarious. That any guy would be lucky to have her. That he was lucky to have her.
He even made it painfully obvious to the pack, to the point where Embry and Quil had started placing bets on when she'd finally figure it out.
Still, nothing.
She'd smile, thank him, laugh like he was joking, and then carry on as if he wasn't losing his mind.
Jacob wasn't sure what it would take to get through to her. Flashing neon signs? Skywriting? Literally just grabbing her face and telling her?
Hell, at this point, imprinting might've been the easy part. Getting her to see it? That was the real challenge.
Because his best friend, the one person in the world he was literally made for, was an absolute brick wall when it came to romance.
"So, you busy Friday?" he asked casually, tossing a pebble into the La Push tide. He kept his tone light, even though his heart pounded every time he tried this.
Maybe this time she'd get it.
Maybe.
But knowing her? He wasn't holding his breath.
You glanced up from where you sat on the driftwood log, pulling Jacob's oversized hoodie tighter around yourself against the ocean wind.
"Friday?" You repeated. "Uh... I don't think so. Why?"
Jacob tried not to look too hopeful. "Thought maybe we could go out."
"We hang out all the time," you said easily.
"No, I mean," Jacob said slowly, "like... out."
You blinked at him.
The waves crashed against the shore in the silence that followed.
Then your face brightened with realization, and Jacob's chest actually tightened with hope.
"Oh!" You said. "You mean like with Quil and Embry too?"
Jacob dropped his head into his hands. "Unbelievable."
"What?" You asked, genuinely confused.
Jacob finally looked back at you, dark eyes narrowed in frustration—but there was no real heat in it. There never was with you.
"You seriously don't get it?" he asked.
"Get what?"
He stared at you for a long moment like he was trying to solve an impossible equation.
Then, apparently deciding subtlety was officially dead, he moved closer until their knees bumped.
"I bring you food every day," he said.
"You like cooking."
"I hate cooking."
"Oh."
"I give you my clothes."
"You run warm."
"I flirt with you constantly."
You opened her mouth, paused, then frowned. "Wait, that was flirting?"
Jacob looked seconds away from throwing himself into the Pacific.
"Yes," he said. "Obviously."
Your expression shifted slowly from confusion to shock.
"Oh."
That tiny word hit Jacob harder than it should've.
"Oh?" he repeated carefully.
"You..." you stared at him like you were seeing him differently for the first time. "You like me?"
Jacob, suddenly nervous in a way he never was. "Yeah," he admitted quietly. "I do. A lot."
The teasing behind them immediately stopped.
Because this part was real.
The wind tugged through your hair as you just looked at him, wide-eyed and silent. Jacob's stomach twisted painfully.
Maybe he'd read everything wrong. Maybe you really had only ever seen him as-
He sighed dramatically, shoulder bumping yours.
"You really had no clue?"
"None. I thought you were just... nice."
Jacob groaned. "Baby, nobody is that nice."
Your cheeks turned pink at the nickname, and Jacob noticed immediately. Of course he did.
"That's actually insane."
You laughed nervously, staring down at your hands. "In my defense, you're naturally kind of... intense."
"Intense," he repeated.
"You threatened a guy for flirting with me once."
"He was annoying."
"He asked me what time it was."
"He looked at you too long."
You burst into startled laughter, and Jacob felt his chest ache at the sound.
God. He was so gone for you.
"So," he said more quietly this time, nudging your knee with his, "now that you finally know..."
Then you laughed softly under your breath, almost disbelieving.
And then, finally—
Finally—
You smiled at him in a way that made his heartbeat stumble.
"Well," you said, nudging his knee with yours, "you could've just told me sooner."
Jacob stared at you for half a second before letting out a laugh so relieved it almost sounded painful.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, grinning despite himself. "I thought calling you beautiful every five minutes would do the trick."
You ducked your head, smiling into the sleeves of his hoodie. "Okay, when you say it like that, I sound stupid."
"You said it, not me."
You shoved his shoulder lightly, and he caught your hand without thinking.
The second his fingers closed around yours, the teasing from farther down the beach exploded again.
"FINALLY!" Quil yelled.
Embry actually doubled over laughing. "Dude, I owe Sam twenty bucks."
You whipped around in horror. "Were they listening to us?!"
"They've been listening to us for months," Jacob said. "The entire reservation's been waiting for you to catch up."
"Oh my god."
Jacob laughed at the look on your face, thumb brushing absentmindedly across your knuckles. He didn't let go.
Not that you seemed to want him to.
The sky above La Push was turning gold and blue as the sun dipped lower, wind carrying the smell of saltwater and cedar through the trees. Normally Jacob would've been restless by now, itching to move, to do something.
But right then?
He could've sat there forever.
You looked back at him after a moment, softer now. "So... when you said go out..."
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
"You meant a date."
"I meant a date."
"A real date?"
He snorted. "No, I confessed my feelings for fun."
Your lips twitched. "You're kind of mean."
"And you're impossible."
"But you still like me."
Jacob's expression softened instantly. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Still do."
The sudden sincerity in his voice made your breath catch.
He saw it happen.
Jacob always saw everything when it came to you.
The grin faded from his face, replaced by something gentler as he shifted closer again, close enough that your shoulders touched fully this time.
"So," he murmured, "is this the part where you tell me you like me too? Or am I supposed to suffer a little longer?"
You laughed under your breath, nervous again, but this time there was warmth behind it.
"I think," you admitted slowly, "I've liked you for a while."
Jacob blinked.
"For a while?" he repeated. "You mean while I was out here fighting for my life trying to flirt with you?"
"I didn't know you were flirting!"
"You thought I just stared at your lips platonically?"
Your entire face went scarlet.
"Oh my god," you muttered, covering your face.
Jacob looked unbearably pleased with himself now. "Wait," he said suddenly, eyes widening. "Hold on. Does this mean I can kiss you now?"
"Jacob!"
"What? Important clarification."
You peeked at him through your fingers, already smiling again. "Maybe."
Jacob groaned dramatically, tipping his head back toward the sky. "She's gonna kill me."
But he was still smiling when he looked back at you.
You were still smiling when Jacob leaned in just slightly, eyes flicking between yours like he was trying to figure out how serious that maybe had been.
"You know," he said carefully, "for someone who missed every obvious sign imaginable, you're being really smug right now."
You huffed a laugh. "I'm processing."
"At a glacial pace."
"I said I liked you back!"
"Yeah, after approximately eighty years."
You rolled your eyes, but your hand was still in his, fingers loosely tangled together now like it had always belonged there.
Jacob noticed that too. Of course he did.
His thumb brushed over your knuckles again, slower this time, and suddenly the teasing from Quil and Embry felt farther away. The sound of the waves softened. The wind cooled your cheeks.
Everything narrowed down to him.
Which was dangerous, honestly.
Because Jacob Black looking at you like that should've come with a warning label.
"You're staring again," you murmured.
"Can you blame me?" he shot back immediately.
Your face warmed.
God, he really had been flirting this whole time.
Jacob's grin widened at your expression. "You're figuring out all the past conversations right now, aren't you?"
You groaned, covering your face again. "The flowers."
"The flowers," he confirmed.
"The random compliments."
"Mhm."
"The time you said if I ever dated someone, they'd have to 'go through you first.'"
Jacob shrugged unapologetically. "I stand by that."
"You were jealous?"
"I was suffering."
That pulled another laugh out of you, and Jacob looked absurdly pleased by it.
Then his expression shifted again—quieter this time. Softer.
"You really like me?" he asked.
The question sounded different now. Less teasing. Almost uncertain.
Like some part of him still couldn't quite believe it.
Your chest tightened a little at that.
You squeezed his hand. "Yeah," you admitted softly. "I really do."
Jacob went still.
Not frozen—just stunned for half a second, like the words had hit him harder than expected.
Then he smiled.
Not the cocky grin. Not the teasing smirk.
Something smaller. Realer.
And somehow that expression affected you way more than all the flirting combined.
"Okay," he said quietly, almost to himself. "Cool."
You blinked. "Cool?"
"Yep."
"That's your response?"
"Well, internally I'm screaming."
Jacob's shoulders shook with silent laughter, his eyes bright and a little dazed.
"Internally," he repeated, "I am losing it. Like—fireworks. Confetti. My entire soul just exploded."
You stared at him for a second before bursting into giggles.
He looked so stupidly happy it was ridiculous.
And the fact that he was the reason you were smiling like this? That you liked him? After all this time?
Yeah. Internal explosion made sense.
Without thinking, Jacob lifted your joined hands and pressed a quick kiss to your knuckles—soft, almost shy in contrast to his usual boldness.
Your breath hitched slightly at the contact.
He noticed that too (of course), but didn't tease you about it this time. Just smiled down at where his lips had been on your skin like it meant something huge—which for him... maybe it did?
Then slowly—so slowly he gave you plenty of time to pull away if needed—he leaned forward again...
Closing the distance between them...
Until finally,
his lips met yours in their first real kiss under golden sunset skies by La Push shorelines
Warm was the first thing you noticed.
Jacob was always warm, but this was different—his hand tightening around yours, his other hand coming up carefully to your cheek like he was afraid to move too fast despite all that confidence.
And somehow, impossibly, the kiss felt exactly like him.
Safe. Certain. A little overwhelming.
When he pulled back, it wasn't far. His forehead rested lightly against yours as both of you tried to breathe normally again.
He was still looking at you with that same stunned expression, like he couldn't quite believe he was allowed to do that now.
"Well," you whispered, slightly dazed.
Jacob grinned slowly. "Yeah?"
"You definitely weren't flirting platonically."
He barked out a laugh, leaning forward to steal another quick kiss before you could say anything else.
"Finally," he said against your lips. "You get it."
The second kiss was easier—less hesitant, more certain. Like now that the dam had broken, Jacob didn't need to overthink anything.
He kissed you again. And again.
Each one shorter than the last—quick pecks on your lips, your cheekbone, the corner of your mouth—as if he couldn't stop himself from touching you now that it was allowed.
"God," he muttered between kisses. "I've wanted to do this forever."