The sole purpose of this is to look like I have my shit together but I digress, I do not.
UPDATED 04/03/2024
* smut
! angst
~ fluff
Any dad works will most likely state it in the title!
~*~ Josh ~*~
Good Morning Dad
The Music Is You (dad!Josh)
Next Thing You Know ~ WIP **On Hiatus**
For You *
Reassurance ~
Piano Man ~
Tease *
Dreams In Gold *
Meet Mr. Josh (Preschool Teacher AU)
~*~ Jake ~*~
Let Me Love You ~
Because You Loved Me ~
Book Worms ~
Burn *
Guitar Lessons (Dad!Jake) ~
Quickie *
Mile High *
Last Night !
Angel Of Mine *
Crazy Train
Good Vibrations *
Sea Glass and Kisses ~
Chapter One !
Chapter Two ~
Chapter Three ~!
Chapter Four ~!
Chapter Five !
Dial Drunk !
~*~ Sammy ~*~
Overwhelmed ~
Stress Relief *
That’s Dad To You ~
All Summer Long ~
Summer Love ~
First Dance ~
Little Bird (dad Sam)
I Knew You Were Trouble ~!*
Hungry Eyes *
Jump Then Fall ~
Addicted *
The Archer
Earned It*
You Can’t Hurry Love ~
My Cherie Amor *
Sk8er Boi - WIP
A FARMERS MARKET SAM AU
FIND ALL THINGS FARMERS MARKET HERE!
FIND ALL THINGS VAMP!SAM HERE
FIND ALL THINGS SAM AND LOVEY HERE
I WAS BORN TO LOVE YOU
VALENTINES SERIES MASTERPOST
~*~ Danny ~*~
My Sunshine (Dad!Danny)
Love You Goodbye !~*
Anthing For You ~
Tattoos and Blow Jobs *
Love The One You’re With ~
Beautiful Things ~ (Danny x Sugar)
BLURB NIGHTS
Killjoy JMK&JTK
Warming Up Hands Under Shirt JMK
Talking Fondly in their Sleep JMK
Falling Asleep on their stomach JTK
Personal Space Heater JTK
I Wouldn’t Trade You DRW
I Wouldn’t Trade You JTK
How Are You So Comfy? SFK
Flowers JMK
Better JTK
characters → jake kiszka x elaine, chris turpin
word count → 2.476
warnings → 18+ || vampires. blood. death. sex. oral sex.
a/n: new character unlocked. whatever will happen..
⌔⌔
The grandfather clock ticked, filling the silence as he waited for Elaine to come downstairs. He fidgets with the cuffs on the sleeves of his shirt, completely nervous about going into the city with Elaine. He wasn’t so nervous to be tempted to feed while he was there. He can control it. He’s more nervous just being around Elaine, in a club, being so close.
He hadn't lied to her the other night when he said he never felt love before. He doesn't even know what it is. Could it be how he feels when he’s around her? Mourning her touch when she moves away from him. Melting just a little when he sees her in a peaceful slumber. His stomach twists in a good way when she smiles at him. His palms sweating just at the mere thought of her.
He had never been in love before. Love was foreign concept to him. He never loved, not even when he was buried so deep in another woman.
But with Elaine.
Maybe he was feeling what love is. What it could be. The only problem was that he was a vampire and she was a human. He would never grow old, never die a mortal’s death. Elaine would. Elaine would grow old and die a mortal’s death and he would be there, still trapped in the body of a thirty year old.
Her heels click on the second floor landing dragging Jacob from his thoughts. Her steps were careful coming down the stairs, legs slightly trembling like a baby deer. His eyes scanned her quickly but he memorized every single inch of her. She wore a black dress that stopped just above her knees. It hugged her body tightly. She wore no tights beneath, just her bare legs on display for anyone who dared to look at her. The cleavage of the dress is low enough to reveal more than what he’s ever been exposed to. Her hair, curled and falling along her back and shoulders.
“I haven't worn heels in such a long time,” She laughs. “If I fall on my face tonight, do not laugh.”
Jacob walks over to the stairs and holds out his hand, offering his assistance for the last couple of steps. “I can’t fathom wearing such things.” He says.
“Good thing you never will.” Elaine jokes.
⌔⌔
The car ride into the city was quiet. Jacob kept his hands glued to the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white as he fought off the temptation to reach his hand over to touch her thigh. She was rambling on about her friends, forewarning him about how crazy they tend to get when they’re wasted. He didn't really care about them, he mostly cared about her. He was the caretaker of the estate, therefore he was also her caretaker.
Arriving at the club, he offered to pay their entry fee despite her protests. The music was already thumping through the walls and through his body. Jacob stayed close to Elaine as they both maneuvered through the crowded hall and into the main room where even more people were mingling and dancing. Some pressed up against each other, hands roaming their bodies. Others holding drinks in their hands and shouting over the music to better hear each other.
Elaine squealed, grabbing Jacob’s attention. She yanked on his hand and pulled him over to a table in the corner where her friends stood around sipping on fruity drinks and laughing.
“Elaine!” One of them shouts as she rounds the table and throws her arms around Elaine’s neck. “You made it!” Elaine’s hand slipped from Jacob’s to hug her friend back. “And you brought a friend!”
“This is Jacob! The caretaker for my uncle’s estate that was telling you all about!”
She talks about me?
One of them was eyeing him up and down, her brows arched as a smirk played on her face. Her eyes were a light blue, the complete opposite of the dark and long locks that framed her hair. She scoffed lightly and lifted her drink up to her lips, not once breaking eye contact with him.
“That would be Erin.” He hears Elaine speak into his ear. “She’s single by the way.” Elaine shoots him a wink and nudges his side. “Go talk to her.”
“Oh um, well..”
“She doesn't bite.”
No, but I do.
Elaine leaves his side to join the other three on the dancefloor, leaving Jacob by himself with Erin. He tries to protest but Erin’s already approaching him. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I wish I could say the same.” He says as politely as he can as he frantically searches for Elaine amongst the crowded dancefloor.
“Do you want a drink? You look a little tense.”
Of course I’m tense. I lost Elaine.
“I’m just not used to being in a crowded place like this.”
“She mentioned you were by yourself. All alone in a cabin in the woods.” He feels her nails creep up his arm. “Said you’ve never been with another woman.”
Jacob’s brows creased and he tore his eyes from the dancefloor to look down at Erin. “What?”
“I don't mind a sweet and innocent man. They’re always the best. One who’s never been touched.”
“She told you I’m a virgin?”
“Well aren’t you? She said you’d never been in love before.”
She told them that? How much more personal did she get?
“Excuse me, please?” Jacob tears away from Erin and weaves his way back through the crowded dancefloor and through the entry hallway until he reaches the doors of the club, pushing past a couple of other people as he exits the building.
I can’t believe she told them that.
Maybe this is a sign that she can't be trusted with my true self. If she tells people about my love life, something so personal–how can I trust her with my secret?
Jacob didn't know Elaine was following him. Didn't know she was calling for him. He just kept walking down the sidewalk, so absorbed into his own thoughts, leaving her behind.
⌔⌔
Unbuttoning his shirt and sliding it off, Jacob rolls it into a ball before tossing it across the room. He started to unbutton his pants when he heard footsteps approaching the cabin. He pauses, studying the unknown human.
Female.
Vanilla.
Erin.
Secretly he hoped it would have been Elaine but he’d foolish to ever believe she’d come find him. But why Erin? Did she follow him home?
He’s at the door and pulling it open before she can knock. “Oh, hey..” She giggles. “I uh, I felt bad for how tonight went. I didn't know that what she told us was supposed to be personal. I could tell by the way your demeanor changed.. So I thought I’d come by and see if you were okay.”
“Oh.. You didn't have to come here.. I’m fine, really..”
Erin smiles and nods her head. “Well good. Then I’ll uh, leave you be.”
Hearing Elaine’s car pulling up the driveway, an idea strikes. Maybe he can show her that he isn't the innocent virgin she thinks he is.
“Do you want to come inside?” He asks.
“Really? Are you sure?”
Jacob nods his head. “I have quite the collection of alcohol, if you’re interested.”
⌔⌔
Elaine paced back and forth in her bedroom. Why did he leave so abruptly? What happened? Was he upset because she left him alone with Erin? Why did he completely ignore her as she chased him down the street?
Chewing on her bottom lip, she drops her hands from her hair to her thighs. Sliding on her slippers and her robe, she heads downstairs and slips out the back door. With her phone light lighting the pathway beneath her feet, she follows it all the way into the woods until Jacob’s cabin comes into view. A faint orange glow shone through the windows.
He’s inside.
She steps up to the door and raises her hand to knock. She pauses when she hears giggling from inside followed by a breathy moan. “Jacob.. Oh god.. Don’t stop..”
Her breath hitches and she quickly hurries away from the cabin. Her heart thunders against her chest when she makes it back to the house. She slams the back door shut unintentionally and leans up against the wall.
Little did she know that Jacob heard her the whole time. He had heard her footsteps, could hear her heart beating, even her breath as she gasped. He smirked against the warm flesh of Erin’s pussy. Maybe now Elaine will know that he isn't as innocent as she portrayed him to be.
⌔⌔
The following morning Elaine was the first to be awake and she begrudgingly made her way downstairs in search of coffee. Staring out of the kitchen window, she sees Erin sneaking up the brick pathway from Jacob’s cabin. So that’s who he had in there last night.
Much to her surprise, Jacob kept a tight lip when he entered the house just ten minutes later. He was dressed for the day in his usual casual attire. Black jeans paired with a billowing black button down shirt that was half buttoned exposing the top half of his chest. Today his hair was pulled back in a low pony tail with a few wisps of hair framing the sides of his face. He was quiet as he moved around Elaine who sat at the kitchen island and drinking her coffee.
“What happened last night?” She asks, breaking the silence that stretched between them. “You left so quickly..”
Jacob inhales, but shakes his head. “Got to be too much. Too many people. I panicked.”
“Jacob, I’m sorry.. I didn't know. I wish you had told me, I wouldn't have left you by yourself.”
“I should be the one apologizing. I left you there stranded.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Elaine says as she slides off the stool. “I can handle myself.” She sets the empty coffee mug into the sink. “I saw Erin leaving a little bit ago. You invited her over?”
“She actually came on her own accord. Wanted to see if I was alright.”
“Oh.. Well, good. I hope you enjoyed her company.”
“I did.”
“Good.” She gives Jacob a tight lipped smile before slipping out of the kitchen.
⌔⌔
Jacob stalked through the woods, listening intently for the familiar rush of a human pulse. His teeth grew as the scent of blood touched his nose. He followed the smell until he came up behind a hiker. She was slouched against a boulder and twisting a bandaid around her index finger.
He did what he always did. Pretend to be an unsuspecting stranger, making small talk and getting his next meal to lower their guard. That’s what he thought of them. It made it easier to feed if he thought of them as anything but human.
When her guard was lowered and she grew comfortable with Jacob, that is when he struck. Covering her mouth with one hand to muffle her cries as he sank his teeth into her neck.
It had been a while since he had sex, forgetting how much of his energy gets sucked out of him. No pun intended. He keeps a stash of blood in a locked freezer in the basement of his cabin, but he couldn't access it with Erin still wrapped around his body.
He hums at the thought of her.
Pulling away from the poor woman, he heals her wound and clears her mind of this event and quickly disappears back into the woods. His body still vibrated from the feed and with the thought of what occurred last night.
He wasn't expecting anyone to show up to his cabin. Not even Elaine. Even if she did show up at a bad time. Bad for her at least.
Stepping into the cabin, he pauses when he sees the aftermath. He simply chuckles when he spots the broken bed post. Erin’s moans fill his head and he tilts his head back, closing his eyes and relishing in the events.
He tossed her onto the bed, climbing over top of her and pushing her legs apart. Without hesitation, he pushes inside of her, earning a sharp gasp. He smiles and leans to press a kiss to her neck. He thrusts his hips harshly.
He was grateful Elaine was human and couldn't hear Erin’s cries, despite already knowing the context of what was happening. Even if she did, at least she’d know he wasn't the innocent man she seemed to perceive him as.
Coming back to the present, he begins the process of cleaning up, making a mental note to buy a new bed frame. Definitely went a bit too far last night, but he doesn’t regret the sex. He only regrets who he slept with. He couldn’t blame Erin. She just isn’t who he really wants.
His watch beeps indicating it was time to get back to work. He’ll worry about the bed later.
Walking back towards the house, he picks up on the sound of Elaine’s laughter. Then he hears a voice that stops him in his tracks. One he hasn’t heard for over fifty years. Sprinting towards the house, he pauses in the doorway of the back door when he spots Elaine standing in the foyer. His view of the visitor was blocked but he already knew who it was.
Elaine’s cheeks grew rosy red, blushing hard at the compliments he was spewing at her. Jacob inhales deeply, clenching his fists at his sides before calming himself and putting on a cheerful facade. Stepping out of the shadows of the staircase, Jacob enters the foyer and greeting the visitor.
“Christopher.” He says with a smile on his face. “What a surprise.”
“I had heard that you had someone new staying here.” Christopher says. “Thought I’d drop by to meet them.”
“Well it was nice of you to drop by, but I think it’s time you leave.”
“Oh no! But he just got here.” Elaine says. “I was just about to put together a snack before lunch, would you like to join me?”
Jacob’s eyes had never left Christopher’s piercing blues. The same ones trying to seduce his next meal. “I don’t think that’s such a good id-”
“I’d love to!” Christopher beams. “Jacob, be nice. When a beautiful woman, such as Elaine, invites you to eat, you accept.” He shoots Jacob a wink before holding out his elbow. “Shall we go prepare our food?”
Elaine giggles and happily accepts Christopher's gesture. “We shall.”
“Jacob, do you mind getting us some drinks?” Christopher says, glancing over his shoulder. “Maybe a sweet, red wine for Elaine and you know mine O negative.”
“O negative?” Elaine questions.
“He’s joking, he’s joking.” Jacob says as he races up to join the two as they enter the kitchen. “Little Halloween humor.” He awkwardly laughs before shooting Christopher a glare.
Christopher rolls his eyes and pats Elaine’s hand. “Yeah, “humor”.”
As Jake fixes their drinks, Christopher leaves Elaine to finish putting together a cheese plate and joins Jacob at the drink cart in the formal living room. “Does she not know that you’re a vampire?” He says, keeping his voice low.
“No… And I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Eventually she’s going to find out. Especially when she starts growing older and you don’t.”
“And you won’t tell her.” Jacob shoves a glass of negative blood into Christopher’s hand.
Christopher chuckles and takes a drink. “So are you and her like…you know..”
Jacob shakes his head. “I have rules.”
“Oh come on.. Tell me you haven't thought about it.” Jacob stayed quiet as he poured a red wine into a glass for Elaine. “Ohhhh you have.” Christopher snickers. “Well since you are deciding not to, do you care if I do?”
Jacob’s head whips around and his brows furrow. “Are you seriously asking me for permission?”
“Well..” Christopher shrugs his shoulders. “At least I asked.. I could have just snuck into her room later.”
Jacob rolls his eyes. “Do whatever you want. But if she says no..”
“I know, I know. But.. I don't think she will.” Christopher shoots a wink at Jacob before taking the wine glass from his hand and leaving the living room to rejoin Elaine in the kitchen.
Jacob shoots back a full shot of whiskey before pouring his own glass of blood to get him through the evening.
⌔⌔
if you enjoyed this, feel free to like, reblog, and maybe leave a comment 🤍
I think I’m mentally stable enough to listen to Noah Kahan’s new album finally. I know I know I’m late to the game but I needed to be in the right headspace for this one 😅
a/n: apologies for such a long delay between chapters. life, you know? 😅 anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter. not much going on, but don't worry. it will slowly amp up. ~ jane
⌔⌔
The house was quiet and still, save for the occasional flip of a page of the book. Having finished his various tasks of cleaning, Jacob retreated to the study where he relaxed into the leather chair and rested his head back. The house was quiet though he could hear the occasional flip of page indicating to him that Elaine was still reading.
Elaine, he still found, is vastly different. Not once in the two hours of his cleaning was he summoned to her side. She never called for him or sought him out. Instead she kept herself hidden away in the library reading. He had never seen a woman read as much as she has. The wives of the former Albanys would sit and read for only a minute or two before getting bored and acquiring Jacob’s attention. Even the young daughters hardly ever read.
Elaine must be a reader. He could see that about her. Her eyes beheld a curiosity and a thirst for knowledge, to learn more about the world around her and the tales that it holds. Jacob saw the peak of interest when he mentioned Dracula. The horror tale of a legendary vampiric creature, a story that has withstood the test of time and still inspires a multitude of generations and their fascination with vampires.
Jacob always found it interesting how people find them intriguing and fascinating, enthralled by the horrors and gore one holds, only to cower with fear when they come face to face with one. He chuckles to himself, relishing behind closed eyes of the gawking expressions of those who found him equally attractive as he was terrifying.
He recalled once in the 1940s during one of his days off from work, he seemed to have attracted the attention of a young woman in a lounge. She watched him all night and he knew she was. He kept his eyes focused elsewhere as he savored the harsh taste of bourbon. She was relentless, vying for his attention. Even so much as to approach him at his table and try to seduce him with her words.
He finally gave in to her wishes, swallowing the rest of the amber liquor and pulling her from the table and towards the back of the building. It started out with kissing and hands roaming. He had to admit, she was good. It was then that he revealed his true self to her. His eyes melted from the caramel color to blood red as his teeth grew. The fear in her eyes only intensified his hunger. He spoke carefully into her ear, soothing her trembling body until she relaxed in his arms. Her blood tasted of a mixture of iron and wine.
When he reached his fullest, he healed her and cleared her mind before sending her back out with a lingering kiss and ditsy mind.
The quiet grew even more as he climbed out of his memories. The page turning had stopped and for how long, he wasn't sure. He listened deeper until finally he heard the slow and steady sound of her pulse. She’s asleep.
Standing from the chair, he exits the study and walks down the hall to the library. Carefully opening the door, he keeps his steps light as he crosses through the room and over to the window. Jacob finds Elaine lying on the couch with the book resting against her chest. Her eyes darted side to side beneath her closed lids. He could only be curious as to what she might be dreaming about.
Her face was softened by the contentment of sleep. Her brows were creased ever so slightly. Her skin glowed beneath the light of the afternoon sun. While one hand held the book steady to her chest, her other hand hung over the side of the couch.
Carefully he removed the book, saving the spot where she had left off, and set it on the table beside the couch. He left momentarily and came back with a blanket to cover her with. He lingered for a minute longer until he found the will to leave her in her slumber.
Something within him stirred as he closed the library doors behind him with a soft click. Ridding himself of such a feeling, he starts to make his way back down the hall to the study when the sound of tires on the gravel drive grab his attention instead. He’s at the front door in a moment and pulling it open.
Parked outside and behind Elaine’s car was a sleek, black Chevy Impala. He only knew of one person who drove that car. He huffs a breath and steps outside, closing the door behind him.
The driver door opens and out steps a man dressed in black pants and converse paired with a half buttoned flannel. Jacob shakes his head when his eyes meet the brown irises that match his own.
“You picked quite the time to show up here.” Jacob comments as he folds his arms over his chest.
“Am I not allowed to come visit my brother?”
Jacob rolls his eyes and allows his brother to pull him in for a hug. “It's been a long time since we’ve seen each other.”
“I’m in the same place I’ve always been for the last two hundred years.” Jacob says when they pull apart. “Unlike you.. Tell me, Joshua, from where do you hail?”
Joshua chuckles. “Canada.”
“Canada, eh?” Jacob laughs when he earns an eye roll from Joshua. “Who is it?” He asks.
“He’s fantastic.”
“Ohh, it’s a ‘he’ this time.”
“I couldn't help it.. He was calling out to me like a wounded bird.” Jacob rolls his eyes again. “Do not judge..”
“I am not.. But you seem to be leaving quite the trail of dead bodies.”
Joshua shakes his head. “Not dead, per se..”
Jacob’s brows perk. “You did not..”
“Indeed I did. We had spent the better part of the last decade together and he asked me to. And I–” He pauses abruptly, shutting his mouth and narrowing his eyes at Jacob. “I smell a human.”
Jacob takes in a breath. “Leave her be. She is sleeping.”
“Woah, hold up. ‘She’?” Joshua says in a mocking fashion. “You have a female master this time?”
“Well when you say it like that..”
“Does she know about you? I mean, I assume she does if you’re working–”
“No..”
“No?”
“No.”
“She doesn't know that you’re…you know.”
Jacob shakes his head. “She is not Walter’s daughter. She is his estranged niece.”
"Niece?"
Jacob nods his head. “Walter never had kids.”
“So he left you and the house to her? And she doesn't know the truth?” Jacob shakes his head. “How?”
“Albert died when she was three and her mother took her. I never met her and her mother never told her the secret.”
“I’m assuming you won't?”
Jacob shakes his head. “I think it’s best that I don't. I don't want to scare her.”
“Fair..”
Jacob notices Joshua’s brows raise and his mouth spreads into a smile. “She’s awake.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Just one little–”
“No!” Jacob hisses under his breath. “You touch her, I will hurt you.”
“Oooo, protective.” Joshua chuckles. “I don't remember you being this protective of any of the others.”
“She’s…different.”
The two of them step inside the house just as Elaine comes walking down the stairs. She stops midway down the staircase when she sees Joshua standing beside Jacob. “Oh hello..”
Jacob clears his throat and steps forward. “Elaine.. This is my brother, Joshua. I hope you don’t mind him being here.”
“I don’t mind at all.” She says, walking down the rest of the stairs. “I completely fell asleep.. I’m probably the most boring person you’ve ever met.”
Jacob smiles and shakes his head. “No, I don't mind.” He says as he places his arms behind his back in his normal stance. “Do you need me to do anything? Get you anything?”
Elaine shakes her head and she steps off the last step. “Nothing that I can’t do. Go spend some time with your brother.” She gives them both a small smile before going in the direction of the kitchen.
Joshua turns to face Jacob and he grins. “Your thoughts betray you, brother.”
Jacob’s jaw clenches. “Get out of my head. You know that I hate when you read my thoughts.”
“Then maybe don’t make it so easy.” Joshua skips a step forward and turns back to face Jacob. “Shall we see what’s for lunch?”
⌔⌔
Jacob stands at the bottom of the concrete stairs as he watches his brother walk beside Elaine in the topiary garden. She asked him if he would like to join but instead he declined, keeping to his post with his arms still held behind his back. His eyes never left them, never left her.
Her smile captivated every inch of him, warming with the sound of her laughter. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight, reflecting back the innocence that lay bare within her. He hasn’t felt something such as this for a very long time. Part of him wanted to walk beside her, making her laugh like his brother so effortlessly was doing. He wanted to wrap his arm around her shoulders, draw her in, and feel her warm skin against his cold skin.
Jacob knew where the line was drawn and he stood before it, tempted to cross it. She was his employer to put it clearly. He worked for her. But oh would he do anything she asked of him. Anything.
“I wasn’t expecting any of this, really..” Elaine spoke as she walked beside Joshua.
“Expecting what? Being left a mansion that comes with its own personal manservant?”
Jacob snarls low enough for only Joshua to hear. He catches a glimpse of a smirk appearing on his face as he glances in Jacob’s direction.
Elaine giggles. “Jacob, thus far, has been…pleasant.”
“Pleasant you say?”
"Yeah.. He’s been kind, attentive. He’s an excellent cook. Though he’s very reserved, quiet. He only speaks when spoken too.”
“My brother is old school like that.”
“He’s a breath of fresh air.” Elaine admits.
Elaine pauses by a bench and takes a seat to rest her feet. Joshua took a seat beside her and rested his hands in his lap.
"Truth be told.. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with this place. I’m just one person with nothing and no one. I come from a small bumfuck town in the middle of nowhere. My parents are dead and I was scraping by just to live.. Suddenly I’m being given a mansion that’s apparently been in possession of my family for years along with a random ass caretaker.”
Joshua snickers at her comment about Jacob. His eyes flicker in his direction catching a stonewalled look painting Jacob’s face but also seeing the glimmer of curiosity sparkle in his eyes.
“I had it all planned out that I would just sell this place, let Jacob live his own life instead of taking care of another.. But then I met him and suddenly everything changed. I was expecting some aged old man with wrinkles and a horrible English accent to be the caretaker but to see Jacob? Young and put together without a horrible accent.”
Joshua chuckles. “Give him time. It’ll slip. It’s his fun little personality he lets shine every now and then when he’s in a playful mood.”
Elaine smiles. “I’ve only been here for twenty four hours but it feels like I’ve been here forever.”
“What do you know about this place?” Jacob’s head snaps in their direction, his eyes solely focused on his brother now.
Don’t you dare. I’m warning you.
Joshua’s lips curl and he subtly glances in Jacob’s direction.
“Nothing really. Just that it’s been a family home for generations. I don't know my family. I never got a chance to know them before my mother ripped me from them after my father passed.”
“So no family secrets?”
I’m warning you.
Elaine shakes her head. “I know nothing. Why? Do you? Does Jacob?”
“You’d have to ask him.”
Jacob inwardly groaned, cursing his brother to damnation for putting the idea inside of Elaine’s head.
“But maybe I’m not supposed to know.. I do have questions but.. I’m not particularly interested in knowing them. Maybe she kept me away for a reason.”
⌔⌔
Jacob cooked dinner that evening. Joshua long gone after bidding his overly sweet goodbyes to Elaine and promising he’d be back to visit again. She agreed to it, saying he was welcome to come by at any time he chose to.
“Your brother is sweet.”
Jacob scoffs and turns from his place at the stove. “He’s annoyingly sweet.”
Elaine’s smile that spread across her face made the connection to her stronger. All he wanted to do was abandon the task at hand and kiss her. Let the food burn if it meant he could touch her the way she asked of him, kiss every inch of her body until she was covered in nothing but his sweetness. But he stood his ground, wiping his hands on the towel that he had draped over his shoulder.
“So what are you making tonight?” Elaine asks, rounding the corner of the kitchen island to come stand beside him. “Smells good.”
“I thought for a chilly night like tonight, you might enjoy some soup.”
“Smells delicious.” She says. “I’m surprised you didn't invite your brother to stay for dinner.”
Jacob returns to stir the soup. “I didn't think it was appropriate considering this is not my home to do so. Besides, he has places to be and other people to see.” Elaine didn't push the matter further. Instead she stood silently beside him watching him as he finished cooking the soup.
Noticing the signet ring on the middle finger of his left hand, she carefully reaches over and lifts his hand to get a closer look. He watched her carefully from his peripheral vision and allowed her to touch him. “This ring looks old. Family heirloom?”
“One could say that.” Jacob says as he moves his eyes back to the pot of soup in front of him.
“Sapphire?”
“Lapis Lazuli.”
He could see the confusion on her face and he chuckled. “It’s a blue colored stone that provides protection.”
“Protection from what?”
The sun so my skin doesn't melt off my body. “Negative energy.”
“Does Joshua have one?” Jacob nods his head. “Is your family super spiritual or something?”
Jacob shrugs his shoulders. “I guess you could say that.” He silently mourns the sudden absence of her touch when she sets his hand down and pulls away. He keeps his hand resting on the countertop, itching for her to hold his hand again.
“So, who taught you how to cook?” She asks, hopping up to sit on the counter top beside the stove.
“My mother.” He reaches down to lower the flame of the burner to allow the soup to simmer as he goes over to retrieve a couple bowls from the cupboards.
“Two?”
“You don't mind, do you?” He asks.
Elaine shakes her head and she smiles. “I don't mind at all. As long as you promise to converse.”
Jacob smiles, humming lightly, as he scoops up some soup in the ladle and fills the two bowls. “What do you want to talk about?”
Elane shrugs her shoulders. “You.”
His brows perk. “Me?”
Elaine nods her head. “If we’re going to share the space, I should probably get to know who resides in the cabin in the woods.”
Jacob huffs a breath. “Well what do you want to know?” He picks up the two bowls and carries them into the dining room.
“Where are you from? Why did you come here? How did you start working here? Do you have any other family? When’s your birthday? Favorite movie? Favorite color? I know your favorite book.”
Jacob sets the bowls on the table and pulls out her chair. “You have a lot of questions, don’t you?”
“Well.. Can you blame me?”
Jacob chuckles and goes around the table to sit down at the setting across from her. “Okay. Eat while I answer the bullets you just fired at me.” Fanning out his napkin, he lays it across his lap. “My birthday is April 23rd.”
“Spring baby.” Elaine mutters in amusement.
Jacob smiles and reaches for his spoon. “I’m from Michigan. I have two brothers. You already met Joshua, but there’s also Samuel.”
“Parents?”
Jacob clears his throat, casting his eyes down to the bowl of soup in front of him. “No.. They died a long time ago.”
“Oh.. I’m sorry..”
Jacob shakes his head. “Like I said, it was a long time ago. Uhh, what else did you ask? Oh. I came here seeking out something new, something different. You can handle so many corn fields for so long.” He says. “I met your uncle and he offered me a job after I offered my services to fix the shingles on the roof.”
“You really do everything.”
Jacob chuckles. “I like to have many skills. Comes in handy.” He takes a sip of the soup, despite not needing it to supplement himself. “Favorite movie? Gee, that’s a tough one. I’ve had a liking for The Princess Bride.”
“Oh, Westley and Buttercup. Iconic.”
“Now my favorite color.. Hmm.. It’s tied between red and green.”
“Very Christmasy.” Jacob snorts, shaking his head.
“What about you?” He asks. “Birthday? Movie? Book? Favorite color?”
October baby. That will be coming up soon. He made a mental note to find a good recipe for a dessert. Something small, nothing fancy. Her favorite color is purple. He tried to keep his eyes from rolling when she mentioned loving Beauty and the Beast.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because that’s a kid’s movie.”
“Oh well I’m sorry,” Elaine says giggling. “It’s beautiful and a classic.”
“No.. A classic is Casablanca.”
“Not the same thing.”
“Both involve love.”
Elaine rolls her eyes. “Are you not fond of love?”
Jacob casts his eyes down to the table. “I can’t be fond of something when I have never felt it before.”
Elaine gently sets her spoon down and leans forward in her chair. “You’ve never loved someone? No woman ever fancied you?”
Jacob smiles softly but shakes his head. “No.. I have never been in love before.. Never met someone that has stirred those feelings within.”
“Can’t meet someone when you’re always here.” Elaine says as she leans on her elbows against the table. “Why don't you go out sometime?”
“I don't go out.”
“You should. Maybe go to a club or something. You never know who you might meet.” Elaine pushes her chair back and stands to her feet. “Tell you what.. I have plans to meet some friends in the city this weekend, why don't you tag along? Take a night off and just relax.”
“I really shouldn't.. That’s not part of my contract.”
“Well as your new “boss”, I am ordering you to take the night off and join me in the city.”
Jacob’s mouth fell open to object to her invitation, but instead he sighs and nods his head. “Sure, why not?”
“Great!” She exclaims.
⌔⌔
if you enjoyed this one, please like, reblog, and maybe share a comment if you'd like. hoping chapter 3 won't take as long to come out 😉
Grief is weird.. it hits in waves and when you least expect it. It’ll be 25 & 16 years next week. How have I lived so long, had babies, made a life for myself without their guidance?
It’s the urge to write Shawn Mendes fics no one but me will read.. I’m a creature of habit, when things suck I go back to the highs hyperfixations -new, current and old- hold for me
