Fate: Chapter 2

"Love is missing someone whenever you're apart, but somehow feeling warm inside because you're close in heart." - Kay Knudsen

Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the lovely Stephenie Meyer.

An: Thank you again to Buff82 and Wolfbane08 for their help.

Chapter 2: Stuck Under You

I flung the door open, my grin widening even more if it were possible. There stood Quil in his dark washed jeans and black fitted t-shirt that showed off his muscles in all the right ways. I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms securely around his neck and buried my face in his chest while breathing in his intoxicating scent.

He wrapped his own arms around my waist to pull me closer, nuzzling his face into my hair. I could feel the vibrations in his chest as he laughed at my antics. "Miss me or something?"

"Mmm," was all that managed to escape my lips. I was too content in the moment; a month apart had been too long and I didn't want to let him go.

He laughed again. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Bella," I heard my dad start to say, "let the poor kid go so he can come in the house." I had taken too long and he had come to see who was at the door.

Quil stood up straighter, but I kept my grip around him. "Nice to see you again Chief Swan." He still wouldn't call him Charlie.

I blushed with embarrassment and released Quil from my grasp. "Sorry," I mumbled.

Quil leaned down to whisper in my ear as he followed me into the house, "I'm not." His breath fanning my skin made me shiver. I heard him chuckle softly… he knew exactly what he did to me.

But I was not about to let him get to me. We would have plenty of time for… that later. Realization dawned on me then and I stopped abruptly in the doorway to the kitchen, turning to face him.

"You don't seem very surprised to see me here," I stated, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

A sly grin spread across his face. "I don't know what you're talking about, I'm thoroughly surprised," he said while feigning innocence.

I arched one eyebrow and placed my hand on my hip. "Uh huh… who was it? Dad or Jake?"

He rolled his eyes while looking a bit sheepish as he answered, "Jake."

"That's what I thought," I smirked.

"Well, in his defense it's a bit hard to keep secrets from the pack. He can't keep his mind blocked all the time."

"Uh huh." I rolled my eyes, smirk still in place, but allowed myself to scan over Quil's drool worthy appearance once more before turning back around towards the kitchen to start gathering the ingredients for dinner. Cooking would be a good distraction anyway. Quil loved to cook almost as much as I did.

In fact it was becoming something of a tradition for us. Whenever I was in town and he'd join us for dinner, Quil would insist on helping me in the kitchen. Sometimes we'd make one his recipe's, sometimes one of mine, but either way we were together.

My plans for distraction backfired, however, as I felt myself being cornered against one of the countertops. I stopped mid reach for the bowl I wanted and slowly turned around. Quil's usually dark brown eyes were nearly black and his gaze bore into mine with such intensity.

I knew that look.

"I think you forgot something," he told me seductively, his voice low and husky.

"I did?" I squeaked. Two words were about all I was going to be able to say anyway when he was looking at me like that. He had a way of making my legs turn to Jell-O without even touching me.

"Yes…," he breathed before leaning down and pressing his lips firmly against mine.

Oh yes… I did forget something. Our lips molded together and instantly the passion I felt for him lit through me. It had been a month since we'd last kissed and I was hungry with desire. He started to pull back too quickly for my liking, causing me to frown and lean up to kiss him again.

His tongue traced along my lower lip and I opened my mouth to allow him to deepen the kiss. The slight moan that escaped me was beyond my control. The heat of his mouth was driving me crazy and I had gone too long without feeling it.

My fingers flitted across his chest, feeling his sculpted muscles through the cotton fabric. I ran my hands up and around to fist the hair at the nape of his neck. Oh how I wanted him at that moment. Pressing myself into him until I was flush against his body, I was suddenly made aware of just how much he wanted me as well.

It was enough to snap me back into reality and to cause logical Bella decided to make herself known, reminding me that Charlie was still in the other room. Reluctantly, I pushed him back away from me.

"Later," I promised, staring into his eyes and trying not to get lost in them once more.

His grin let me know he was promising for later also.

Together we worked making dinner for ourselves and Charlie. Prepping, preparing, and serving in sync with one another. It was times like that that I could envision our future together—cooking dinner in our little house in La Push, making large meals for the pack who would visit often, and then falling asleep each night in each other's arms.

I had never thought much of marriage, but I knew that if Quil were to ask me I wouldn't hesitate to say yes. He had become my everything and I never wanted to let him go. There was a voice in the back of my head that reminded me I may have to one day, but I squashed that thought anytime it tried to surface.

Besides, Quil was only just graduating high school; marriage was most likely the last thing on his mind. He may have looked twenty-five, but in reality he was only eighteen.

Charlie, Quil, and I sat together around our mismatched kitchen table just as we always did each evening I was home. They discussed the sports stats or the newest fishing equipment my father had bought. Meanwhile, I sat back watching the two of them and smiling at how many different ways Quil was already a part of my family.

"You finishing up your finals this week, then?" I heard Charlie ask, drawing my attention back into the conversation.

"Yes sir. Got three left and then I'm officially graduated," Quil beamed proudly.

"Well make sure you don't stay too late so you can study. Let's make sure you get that diploma." I suppressed a giggle at Charlie acting all father like towards my boyfriend. It really went to show how much he cared about him.

With that he got up from the table and placed his plate in the sink before heading off to the living room. I stood to finish clearing the table; Quil followed me to the sink with the remaining dishes I couldn't carry. He washed, I dried.

"You're coming back right?" I asked as I walked him to the door that night.

"Of course," he smiled and then leaned down to place a chaste kiss on my lips. I watched him run across the yard and into the trees before I shut the door and headed upstairs to my room.

I was faintly aware of someone crawling into bed next to me sometime during the night. I had fallen asleep around ten while waiting for Quil to return, exhausted from the packing of my dorm and the drive to Forks earlier in the day.

My body instinctively snuggled into the warm form behind me as who I assumed to be Quil wrapped his arm around my waist. My sleep induced mind sighed with relief at having him near and I easily fell back into a deep, restful sleep.

"Good night Bella, I love you," he whispered and then kissed the top of my head.

"I love you too," I murmured sleepily, my words slurred and muffled by my pillow.

A loud thud woke me early in the morning. Startled, I shot straight up in bed and looked to the doorway to see Charlie standing there. My eyes quickly and discreetly glanced to my side to see if Quil was still lying next to me but thankfully I found the bed empty.

"I gotta head into work early, but I'll be home later," my dad was telling me.

The groggy haze of my brain began to subside enough for me to respond. "Sounds good, I'll probably be out in La Push today."

"Don't worry about dinner." And with that he closed the door and left, a small smirk on his face. It was unusual for my father to come by my room before work and that smirk? What was up with that?

My heart was still pounding in my chest from almost being caught in bed—in Charlie's house—with my boyfriend. I don't care how much my father liked Quil… there was no way he'd be ok with us sharing a bed at night under his roof.

"Quil?" I questioned after a moment when I looked around the room and still didn't see him. I stood from the bed and walked over to the closet, peeking inside to see if he'd hidden in there.

"Bella," a strained voice spoke from near my bed.

I looked over, confused when I saw no one.

"Down here," the voice sounded again.

My gaze shifted downward to the underside of the bed only to find Quil lying contorted and half under my antique oak bed, looking like all too much like Poppa Bear hiding under Baby Bear's bed.

"I think I'm stuck," he admitted as he attempted to move out from the confined space.

I couldn't help it—the sight was too much and I buckled over in laughter.

Quil frowned. "It's not funny Bella. I'm really stuck."

His petulant face only fueled my hysterics and tear began rolling down my cheeks as I clutched my sides and slide down to the wall to sit on the floor. "Oh my god…. Honey, you're too funny," I gasped out in between fits of laughter. Quil's frown only deepened.

"Maybe if I moved the bed…" he trailed off and started an effort to maneuver himself into a position to move the solid oak wood bed, but was rendered unsuccessful. He began to try again before I shouted out to him as my laughter died down to a controllable level.

"Don't you dare break my bed," I warned before gathering myself enough to crawl over to the bed and reached for his arm. How my 5'3'', 110lb frame was supposed to pull his 6'5'' self out from under the bed was beyond me, but I figured it was worth a shot.

Ten minutes later, a poor attempt at moving the bed myself, and no progress left me in another bought of hysterics and Quil utterly embarrassed and irritated. After much protest on his part I talked him into allowing me to get some help, but not before I grabbed my camera from atop the dresser and snapped a quick shot to add to the scrapbook.

My stomach hurt like hell from the overuse of my muscles while laughing, so I somewhat painfully made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen to use the phone. I decided to call the one person I knew would appreciate the humor of the situation.

"Hello?" he answered on the second ring.

"Hey Jake, It's Bella," I giggled, still picturing the scene from my bedroom.

"Bells, you're home!" he shouted into the receiver enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I got in yesterday. Listen… could you come over and give me a hand?" By now the giggles were increasing and I wasn't sure I'd be able to explain the exact predicament that warranted his help.

"Um… sure…," he sounded weary, but agreed anyway, "I'll be there in a fifteen minutes. What do you need my help with?"

"Oh, you'll see when you get here." And with that I hung up the phone.