All Bark, No Bite [Jacob & Edward]

30

He looks over his shoulder at Edward who mouths, "They can handle it." before he's being ushered up the staircase. He steps into their bedroom, ready to protest when he smells something familiar coming from the bathroom. 

"C'mon," Edward says, tugging at Jacob's shirt as he heads towards the door, pushing it open. There are candles. Lots and lots of candles and the smell of the only bubble bath that Jacob could stand when he was pregnant. The bubbles are almost running over the side of the tub. 

Jacob sheds his clothes and immediately pretends not to see Edward slowly taking in his body. His entire physique had snapped back like a rubber band after taking on a couple of extra rounds with Seth and Quil. He hadn't taken the time to really look at himself, given that he'd spent the last couple of months with baby puke all over him. He turns towards the tub only to find himself met with a little tray of fruit that's hovering just above the water on a tray.

He slips into the tub and stares down into the water. It's been a while since he's had a bath, especially one like this. It sets him on edge as Edward slips in behind him. For a long moment, he just sits quietly in the water, staring up at the ceiling. Once again, if he asked, Jacob wouldn't say no, couldn't say no.

Edward begins to slowly dig his thumbs into Jacob's lower back, leisurely massaging the muscles.

Jacob slowly relaxes into Edward's front, grabbing a strawberry off of the top of the pile, but he doesn't take his eyes off of the ceiling, head resting on Edward's shoulder. Eventually, they close on their own accord. 

 The water is slowly heading towards being warm when he feels like he might be in the clear. Maybe he'd genuinely overthought this one. Perhaps Edward just wanted to relive the most stressful seven months of his life without the death bits. Jacob can feel himself being lulled to sleep when Edward gradually starts putting shampoo into his hair. He gently begins to massage his scalp before running it through to the tips that have dipped down into the water. He begins to slowly rinse it out. 

Jacob wakes up when he hears someone shuffling around the room. He quickly sits up, hand flying toward the lamp and yanking at the string. He's met with Seth lowering Sarah down into her swing.

"Ah, look at that. You woke up. Get some pants on, Sleeping Beauty. Your boyfriend is making dinner." He quietly says before slipping out of the room. 

Jacob reluctantly finds some pants and a shirt before walking over to make sure Elizabeth and Sarah are tucked in correctly only to find that Elizabeth isn't in her swing.

At the bottom of stairs, Edward and Leah are bickering about what sides would go best with the meal while Quil and Elizabeth are conspiring about something on the couch. 

"Eli says you're both wrong." Quil informs them before putting his ear up to her mouth. "She also says we should eat in the dog pile."

"Eli eats mush. What does she know?" Seth points out.

"He's got a point." Leah points out, looking over to Edward.

"You're right. We should've asked Sari before she went to sleep. I've seen her try to eat lint, I'm sure she'd know." Edward says, heading back over to the stove to stir whatever he was cooking.

"It's not our fault Sarah has superior taste." Seth huffs before turning around in Embry's lap for back up. Embry only shakes his head, amused at Seth's ridiculous bickering.

Jacob walks over to greet Elizabeth and gets blown a snot bubble for his trouble. After smoothing down her hair which Seth has swooped up "to look like the Eiffel Tower", he heads into the kitchen and has to dodge Leah. She swoops by him, plates in hand without even making eye contact. He shrugs it off, going to stand against the counter next to where Edward is chopping up vegetables on a cutting board.