Title: This Ain't My First Rodeo

Pairing: Jacob and Bella

Genre: Mild angst

Rating: M for language

Beta: WolfGirl7411

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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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A/N: I want to thank WolfGirl7411 and jarms for encouraging me to write this, with a special thank you to Wolfgirl7411 for beta'ing on very short notice. It was a great way for me to vent some frustrations this week. Without their encouragement I wouldn't have done it. Love you girls!

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They are such talented writers! I am very lucky to know them. If you want to read something well written, check out their stories. You will be in for a treat.

"Dark Matter" by jarms

"Little Earthquakes" by WolfGirl7411

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Prompt for part 1: "Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here." (quote from As Good As It Gets)

Prompt for part 2: "To The Moon And Back" by Savage Garden

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This Ain't My First Rodeo

Their last phone call?

It was more of a shouting match than a conversation.

All Bella could talk about was her precious Edward Cullen and the many reasons he was right for her. They were going to attend Dartmouth… blah blah blah. As much as Jacob loved her, he couldn't get it through her thick head she was meant to be with him.

She kept throwing the possibility of an imprint in his face. He tried to explain why he wasn't worried. Billy and the council had discussed the matter at length and were sure it wouldn't happen—not when his wolf had already made his choice. Wolf and man were on the same page.

Jacob was fed up. Tired of trying to convince her, he'd exploded in anger. Deep in his heart, he knew she was the love of his life… she just didn't realize it yet.

Embry and Quil were the first to offer unsolicited advice. Although they meant well, more often than not their suggestions were better examples of what not to do when it came to the opposite sex. The last time Quil put the moves on a girl at the beach, she stomped on his foot.

Quil smirked. "Look, bro, you seem to be forgetting one key factor here: We're all studmuffins." He slapped Jake on the back. "Seriously. The ladies cream just looking at us. Make her work for it; don't be so fucking available all the time."

Embry chimed in, "Yeah, Jake. Bella should consider herself lucky you even give her the time of day." He grinned. "Besides, we all know she wants you."

They told him he'd been too nice… too available… too... everything. He'd laughed it off, but deep inside knew they were right. Being taken for granted and rejected was getting old—maybe it was time she learn a lesson.

All week the phone rang off the hook. Bella kept trying to apologize, but Jacob stood firm and kept his distance. He wasn't ready to accept her with open arms… yet. It would come, and he knew it. It always did.

When the weekend came around, he wasn't surprised to find her knocking at the door.

Damn. Why did she have to smell so good?

Jacob took a deep breath and opened the door. His voice was husky when he spoke. "Hey."

Bella rushed to hug him, but he stopped her mid-stride. She made an attempt to apologize, but couldn't quit mentioning his name. When she put her hand on his arm, he gently moved it away.

"I know you love me, Jake, and I love you, too. It's just not the same kind of love. It doesn't mean the same thing to you." she flashed him the look… the one that always brought him to his knees.

Not this time, though.

He wasn't going to let her get away with excuses. He knew she loved him and it was the romantic kind of love. The way her breath quickened when he hugged her. The yearning expression she wore when she thought he wasn't looking. In the way her hands shook when he touched her. He was good at reading her body language.

"This ain't my first rodeo, Bells."

Bella almost laughed—until she saw how serious he was. "Jacob, stop being a jerk." She begged, "I need us to be friends!"

The vice around his heart tightened. Before he could rein himself in, the words flew out of his mouth. "Fuck that shit, Bella. I deserve more." His gaze was smoldering. "And it's time you stopped lying to yourself about your feelings."

In the other room he heard Embry whisper, "Yes!" and give Quil a high-five.

Stunned, Bella blushed from her head to her toes. She'd never seen her Jacob like this, but had to admit... hearing him say "fuck" gave her a thrill.

Jacob stiffened his spine, rising to his full height. Sticking up for himself was cathartic. It felt… fucking awesome.

Bella tried one more time. She stammered, "J… Jake, I need you. Not having you in my life is driving me crazy."

He shook his head. It was always about her needs, her desires… her. What about him? Didn't his feelings and desires matter?

A deep pain of the hemorrhaging kind sliced through him. His heart ached for her. Still, his voice didn't waver when he replied, "Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here."

Resolving to be strong this time, he closed the door in her face.

Bella's mouth fell open as his words sunk in. For the first time in a while, she'd been rendered speechless.

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Three months had passed since their fight. Jacob and his dad were watching the Mariners when they heard the familiar sound of Bella's truck coming down the road.

Billy glanced at his son, trying not to give anything away. Charlie had already told him Bella was done with Edward, but he wanted Jacob to hear it from her directly.

Jacob went outside to meet her. As he walked by, Billy touched his arm.

"Son." Their eyes met. "Give her a chance to say her piece."

Jacob nodded, his heart heavy. The self-imposed distance from Bella had been rough.

He waited for her on the porch, taking deep breaths. It was now or never. Be strong. He couldn't be her long-suffering friend any longer… he wouldn't.

She looked so beautiful he had to force himself not to run to her.

Bella was nervous as she approached, unsure what kind of reception she would receive. He hadn't returned her calls, and the only information she'd been able to pick out of Charlie—via Billy—was that Jacob was still upset.

"Jake, I needed to see you." Her voice was thick with emotion.

He sighed. "Look, you know how I feel about you. We'll always be friends, but not like before. It'll never be like it was before."

Seeing the sad expression on his face made her heart ache. "Just answer this question. Are you happy with things like they are?"

The answer was unequivocal: "Hell no."

"Jake, stop cursing. I've told you before." Chastising him was an old habit.

He paced, raking a frustrated hand through his hair. "I'm a grown-ass man, Bella. Don't tell me what to do."

Before the words spilled over her lips, Jacob stepped off the porch and stood directly in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders. She gasped at his imposing form, unaccustomed to this new, assertive side of him.

"Look, Bells… you've gotta stop doing that to me." A battle raged inside—the desire to be close to her and the need for self-preservation. He was too exhausted, had been through too much, to be anything but honest. Closing his eyes, he hugged her against his chest, the words spilling out in a husky voice. "You know how much I love you."

Thick air filling her lungs, Bella pulled away, searching his face. He wasn't just talking about her telling him what to do—it was so much more than that. "I'm sorry if I belittled you, Jake. I don't mean to." She gave him a slight smile. "And I know you're a grown-ass man."

Jacob shifted. There was something different about the way she looked at him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Clearing her throat, she met his gaze, eyes misting with tears. "I came because I have something to tell you. I decided I didn't want to see Edward anymore. I broke up with him a month ago."

The stunned silence was deafening. "You did?"

She nodded. "I've been thinking about what I want to do with my life. The only thing I know for sure is that I want you to be a big part of it."

Quiet, he contemplated her words. Was she choosing him? He hoped so, but either way, he was thrilled Edward was out of her life. The burden was lifted. "How big?"

Her giggle warmed his heart. "Real big."

Laughing heartily, he pulled her against his chest, feeling her relax against him, the tension flowing out of her body.

He breathed her scent deep into his lungs, savoring the moment. He'd missed her so much. It was hard going through the motions at school and home when all he—and his wolf—could think about was her. They'd both been suffering without her presence in their lives.

"Well, if you ask me, I think you did the right thing." He tweaked her nose.

His sudden mood change was contagious. She laughed. "Yeah, I'm way too good for him."

She was teasing, but Jacob agreed wholeheartedly. "You got that right." He took her hand in his. "C'mon, let's go eat. You're staying for dinner."

Their mealtime was full of jokes and laughter. Billy hadn't seen the two of them so carefree in a long time. It seemed they were finally on common ground.

Once the dishes were cleared away, they had ice cream with chocolate syrup. Jacob laughed more than he had in months.

Watching him enjoy the sugary treat, Bella was breathless—especially when he dripped syrup on his white t-shirt.

"Oh, crap." Removing his shirt, Jake strode to the sink and held it under the faucet, rinsing out the stain. A faint blush on her cheeks, she stared, mesmerized by his magnificent form.

Billy raised an eyebrow, grin firmly in place. "So, Bella, what's going on with you these days?"

Her brain was occupied, intent on memorizing every muscle in Jacob's back. "Not much, really." She shrugged. "Just teenage stuff."

Knowing she probably wasn't ready to talk about it, he humored her. "Tell me about it! I get plenty of teenage stuff 'round here."

"Hey! I'm a teenager in number only." Jake pounded his chest in dramatic fashion.

Billy chuckled. "Go put a shirt on, son. See what I have to put up with, Bella?" Stretching, he looked at his watch. "Well, it's been fun, kids, but I'm gonna hit the hay."

After Billy went to bed, Jacob and Bella watched t.v., neither of them wanting the night to end. They held hands and cuddled, Jacob taking note of her rapid heartbeat every time he touched her. He enjoyed that she was receptive to his attention.

Snuggling against him, she realized she was dying for him to kiss her. She'd never openly acknowledged him as a man before, but she was finally free to explore her feelings. She shivered with anticipation. "Jake…"

He leaned in closer and ran his hand down the soft skin of her arm. "Yes, honey?"

Staring into each others eyes, she blurted, "Are you going to kiss me or what?"

Excitement coursed through him, and he raised his eyebrows. If he had any question she was serious, that sealed it. Quil's words echoed in his mind. Make her beg for it, Jake.

His greatest desire was to kiss her, so he wasn't about to make her beg. What if she changed her mind?

"Yes, Bella." He held her gaze for a minute more before continuing in a hoarse voice. "I have wanted to do this for a very long time." He wrapped an arm around her lower back, pressing her lush body against his. Inching closer, his lips almost touched hers. "I'm going to kiss you… and then I'm gonna kiss you some more."

The erotic charge of his words made her heart skip a beat. His voice had a tone she'd never heard him use before, and it turned her insides to mush. Weak in the knees, she felt butterflies dance in her stomach.

His presence surrounded her. The moment they connected, they both knew their lives were never going to be the same. Whimpering, she parted her lips.

Her encouragement made him groan. Taking complete possession of her mouth, he wove his fingers in her hair, cradling her head.

Overwhelmed by a rush of pleasure, Bella pushed down her shyness and settled onto his lap before wrapping her arms around him.

They kissed passionately, Jacob moaning with desire when she moved against him. His body demanded more, but he respected her too much to get carried away. He knew he could easily lose control.

But fuck, it felt so good.

His eyes were dark with passion when he eased away from her.

Bella was suddenly aware of the large erection pressing against her. She covered her mouth in embarrassment and carefully moved off his lap.

"I'm sorry, Jake."

He smiled the happiest smile she'd seen in months. "Don't you dare be sorry." He wrapped his arm around her. "It's been the best night of my life."

She laughed. "Well, I'm glad I got to share it with you." In her heart she knew his best nights would be filled with wonderful things like graduation, marriage, and babies. After the last month of soul searching, she'd come to realize she wanted to be there for all of them.

Giving her heart to him was scary. Bella was a thinker and a planner. She was out of her element. So much time had been invested thinking her future was with Edward, but being with Jacob felt like home.

She searched his face, whispering, "I love you Jake, but I'm scared." Her lip quivered. "This is a journey I don't have a map for."

"Don't be scared, Bells." Holding her tight, he gestured toward himself, "It's just me."

She sniffed against his chest. "There is no just me with you, Jake. You're somebody special, you know."

He scoffed. "You are."

She snuggled against him and sighed in contentment. Encircled by his strong arms, she felt safe and loved.

Breaking the silence, he gave her a light squeeze. "You don't need a map with me, Bells." He pulled away and winked. "How 'bout we just fly to the moon and back?"

Bella knew she could trust Jacob Black with her heart. Prepared to embrace a future together, she laced her fingers with his. "Sounds perfect."

Eyes warm and glowing, heart spilling over with love, he lifted her hand for a kiss. "It does, honey. It sure does."

A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it!

Tami